Reflection
by Bre Henson
Summary: Our past, present, and future all combine and make us into who we are, but when Orochimaru takes on a new student will she make him doubt what he has become? "Why do people become evil, sensei?" The answer is difficult, although the question is simple.
1. Chapter 1: Observation

**A/N: I'm back! :) This is my first Naruto fanfiction, and reviews would be greatly appreciated (as always).  
This story is a lot of fun to write, and I hope that you enjoy reading it! Also, keep in mind that this was written for National Novel Writing Month, so it's a bit long, but I promise that things get interesting, so if it seems to be slowing down; just keep reading! Love, Bre **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto; but I do own the plot of this story, and whatever random characters of my own invention that show up.  
Remember in 2012 to vote Orochimaru/Sasuke for President/Vice!**

Snow fell in swirling streams of white. It had been quiet day, the sort of day when all you wanted to do was sit in the silence and reflect. For Orochimaru, it was a day to get out in the frozen air, and lose himself inside the workings of various plots, and schemes. He sighed, and watched as his breath came out as vapor. The sun was going down, and the world was succumbing to the dully-lit world of twilight. Striding into a heavily curtained stand, the great ninja sat down on a stool, and waited for his order to be taken.

"What can I do for you?" the owner of the place asked.

"I would like a bowl of vegetable ramen, with a cup of green tea." Orochimaru said in his quiet, yet harsh voice.

"Sure thing!" the owner answered, walking off to make the order.

Orochimaru looked spitefully at the other costumers; he saw families, a sensei, and her students, and a handful of loners. He decided to watch the master, and her pupils. They were laughing, and chatting about various subjects as they ate.

"Sensei," one of the students asked. "Why do people turn to evil?"

The sensei leaned back, and thought for a moment before answering, "Different reasons; but you know, those who are evil, do not think they are evil. They may know that what they're doing isn't quite right, but something in them, some piece of their psychological puzzle, makes them believe that they are correct in their actions."

"How though? I don't quite understand." the student asked again, her dark brows furrowing.

"To be honest, Yuki, there isn't a clear answer. It depends on the person really, and you'd have to be really in tune with them to truly understand." the sensei replied, a serious looking had befallen her previously smiling face.

"Ah, I see." Yuki replied, though the look in her eyes told Orochimaru that she didn't fully understand.

"Master," another student said; this one was the exact opposite of the other. Instead of being dark haired, his hair was pure white.

"Yes, Daisuke?" the sensei answered.

"Those that were evil, but convert to good; do you think that evil tempts them more than it does the rest of us? What I mean to say is; are they like recovered alcoholics are with sake? Whereas a person who hadn't been addicted to it, wouldn't be tempted to drink too much, would a person who has been drowned in evil once, would they be very much tempted to be so again?" he asked; pushing stray strands of hair out of his eyes as he finished speaking.

"Hmm…" the sensei closed her eyes in thought. "Perhaps, but as I told Yuki, there's no sure way to know, for I have never tread that path myself. But," she said, raising a finger. "Know this: Everyone at many points in their lives is tempted to do evil. No one is flawless."

"Yes, sensei!" Yuki and Daisuke answered.

Orochimaru flicked his gaze towards the third, and final student. She hadn't said a single world the entire time; instead she had studied the scene going on around her. She was a balance of the other two; she had fiery red hair that fell just past her chin. Her eyes drank everything in, whereas Daisuke's ignored everything, he seemed to think that his knowledge was limitless, and Yuki, her eyes were wide, and expressive, the height of naiveté.

Orochimaru scoffed, and turned away from the happy, little scene.

As he swiveled around, he caught sight of the owner coming his way.

"Here you are, sir," the man said, setting down the requested bowl of ramen, a cup, and a steaming pot of green tea.

Orochimaru nodded in acknowledgement, and passed the man his compensation for the meal.

"Thank you! Enjoy your meal!" the owner called, hurriedly walking to the next costumer.

Orochimaru slowly poured some tea into the cup; he smiled as he watched it flow out. It flowed just as the life force of the mortal did, but his would never fade. He would live forever, and watch history build itself throughout the centuries. He sat the teapot down, and picked up the warm cup of tea. He blew on it gently, and breathed in the steam wafting from it. Deciding that it was cool enough, he took a sip, and sighed happily. Green tea was always able to relax him.

He smirked to himself, laughing at some private joke. Setting the tea down, he eyed his ramen, and wondered if it was cool enough yet. Gracefully grasping his set of chopsticks in his left hand, he scooped up some noodles, and blew on them. Inspecting them carefully as he blew, he didn't see any steam rising from them, and quickly put them into his mouth. He chewed, the smirking smile was still on his face; places like this always reminded him of the past. Back when he had been a student, like those brats he'd been watching. Some would have said that in those days, Orochimaru had been as innocent as a newborn child. Among those, were his former sensei, Sarutobi; a kind man that had cared for his students as if they were his own children. Which in turn, was truly ironic, seeing as how the "Three Great Shinobi," had all became orphans in time. Orochimaru frowned as he looked out at the snow; his mother had loved this type of weather. He sighed sadly, and went back to eating his ramen. His face was thoughtful as he ate, and he thought over what his moves in the nearby future should be. There was that boy, Itachi Uchiha, to take care of. He wanted the power of Sharingan, and Itachi's body was strong, very strong; not to mention that the boy was a genius rarely seen. Orochimaru smiled; who knew what powers he possessed?

Anticipation gnawed at him, but he knew that he couldn't rush things; it was best to let Itachi grow, to gain power, strength…and amass jutsus.

He sipped some green tea to calm himself; there would be enough time for excitement later. Today, he had promised himself that he would take time to be calm, and relax; for Orochimaru, days like today were meditation. At last, he finished his meal, and rising from his seat, he left the warm booth, and went out into the cold, dark world.


	2. Chapter 2: Wander

**A/N: Spoilers; if you don't know who was on Orochimaru's team back in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and if you don't know who Kabuto works for. Also, if Kabuto seems very complacent, and unlike himself, the story is currently taking place when Kabuto hasn't been with his current employer for very long, so he hasn't realized that he can mouth off to him yet. :)**

Returning to his home of sorts, Orochimaru went straight to his impromptu training hall. Training was a wonderful way to jumpstart his thoughts. He stretched first; his muscles needed to warm up, after being out in the snow all day, they had stiffened. He thought it odd that Kabuto hadn't wandered up yet, but he decided to pay it no mind.

After he had stretched, he worked through all the forms that he knew; they were so engrained into his memory that he was able to let his thoughts wander to other things as he went through them.

There was the Akatsuki to deal with; they had to be eliminated. He knew that they would never fall to their knees and serve him, and thus they had to die.

"If only they weren't such arrogant fools," he muttered to himself.

Their power would have been a wonderful addition to his steadily growing arsenal.

Then there was Tsunade and Jiraiya…Would they move to stop him?

So far they hadn't dared, but…he always wondered, if perhaps one day they would wake up and realize that he truly wasn't their friend anymore…

"_Why? Why you?!" Jiraiya cried out._

"_Heh, heh, ah Jiraiya…" he'd answered._

"_We are the 'Three Great Shinobi!' We've been friends since we were children! Haven't we?" Jiraiya demanded._

"_You were always so simple." Orochimaru spat out, as he glared hatefully. Jiraiya tensed, ready for a fight._

"_Whatever you're thinking, it won't work. You aren't aware of what I've been up to; now are you?" he'd continued, smirking._

_Jiraiya scowled, "You're right…I'm not," he confessed._

"_Ha! I knew sensei wouldn't tell you! The old fool's probably sitting at home waiting for me to come back like a good, little student, and give some speech about wanting to atone for my actions, and all that. Well, good luck to him!"_

"_Orochimaru…what happened to you?" Jiraiya asked. "What's made you this way?"_

"_Idiot! I'm on the verge of the greatest breakthrough this world has ever seen!" he shouted at his former teammate. "Now stand down, and get out of my way!" he cried, and then the two raced towards each other; one filled with hate, and ambition, and the other with hurt and confusion._

"Idiot!" Orochimaru spat out, and then he decided that he had had enough of forms for today, and went over to the target practice wall.

He scooped five throwing stars out of the pouch on his right leg, and taking several steps back from the wall, aimed at a target, and threw; the star and target clanged out as they collided; bull's-eye.

Orochimaru grinned, it was nothing less than what he expected from himself. He threw a few more, just for kicks, and got the same result.

As he started to throw the last one, a quiet voice sounded behind him,

"Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto said, bowing his head.

"Ah, Kabuto," Orochimaru replied, throwing the star. "I was starting to wonder where you'd gone off to."

Kabuto watched the star hit a bull's-eye, his face was unexpressive, but the wall of bull's-eyes had impressed him. Then again, Lord Orochimaru always impressed him.

"I apologize; I was conducting an experiment in the lab, and lost track of time." he answered.

"Ah, I see." Orochimaru answered, turning to look at him. "How goes your project?"

"It's going better than I'd ever hoped, sir!" Kabuto exclaimed. "I'm so close to a breakthrough…it's just…"

"Just what?" Orochimaru demanded.

Kabuto's face fell; disappointing Lord Orochimaru was a dangerous business. "Well…the subjects…they keep dying." he whispered.

Orochimaru snorted, "Then all we need to do is get some more." he said carelessly. "Stronger ones, who won't die because they feel a little pain."

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto replied, unfazed; the way his master disregarded human life was old news to him.

"We'll have to go out and secure some soon…" Orochimaru murmured thoughtfully. He laughed, "But from where should we take them, this time?" he asked; thinking aloud, a horrible smile was on his lips.

Kabuto shuddered; thanking God that he wasn't Lord Orochimaru's enemy. "Perhaps the Village Hidden In The Mist, lord?" he suggested.

"According to the stories I've heard, they're supposedly a very strong people."

"Hmm…" Orochimaru hummed, thinking it over. "Maybe; I'll have to look into it…" he replied, his eyes narrowing to slits as he thought.

"Shall I pick up some materials on them, lord?" Kabuto asked.

"Yes, Kabuto, but not today. Tomorrow though, I will have a list of books for you to go, and find." Orochimaru answered.

"Yes, lord." Kabuto replied.

"Now, Kabuto, come here, and spar with me." Orochimaru ordered.

Kabuto paled, and felt a lump rise in his throat.

"Stop trembling like some brat that just graduated the Academy, and come here!" Orochimaru said harshly. "I was going to teach a few jutsus, but perhaps I'll just have to wait until you grow up!"


	3. Chapter 3: Boil

**A/N: HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! **

"I- I'm sorry, lord." Kabuto said, hurried walking to the middle of the room.

"There. Stand directly in front of me." Orochimaru said, ignoring Kabuto's apology. "And stop looking like you're about to be hanged! The worst injury you'll leave with is some bruises, and a cut or two; unless you keep trying my patience," he hissed, and Kabuto had to use every ounce of his will to keep himself from shuddering again.

"Yes, lord." he answered.

"Get into fighting position one." Orochimaru said through clenched teeth, and Kabuto hurriedly threw himself into the familiar stance, as Orochimaru gracefully did the same.

"Now, attack me." Orochimaru said.

Kabuto stood there for a few seconds, unsure of what to do; Lord Orochimaru had never told him to make the first move before.

"Why are you still standing there?" Orochimaru demanded. "You can't just wait for the enemy to make the first move! You have to attack! Waiting only lets your opponent gain the upper hand," he chided.

Kabuto threw a hesitant roundhouse kick at the pale man; who merely laughed, and stepped back; watching as the kick passed by him.

"Ah Kabuto," he said shaking his head. "You're never going to get anywhere like that; it's no wonder that you've failed the Chunin exams so many times."

Kabuto hung his head; he was burning with shame.

Orochimaru laughed at the young man's reaction; "Come now," he said. "Try again, only this time…be aggressive! Surely there's something that angers you. Think of it, and channel all your fury into your attack."

Kabuto thought about all the things people had said about him; what a fool he was, unable to pass an exam that mere children could. His clenched fists started to shake, and a fire welled up in his heart, a hesitant, nervous fire, but a fire nonetheless.

"Kyah!" he shouted, as he punched with his right fist.

Orochimaru grabbed it in his open palm, and grabbed the young man's shirt with his free hand, and then he swung his right leg behind Kabuto's left, and pulled. Kabuto began to fall backwards, and Orochimaru let go, and let him fall to the floor.

"That is why you don't strike blindly. If I had been an enemy, you'd be dead." Orochimaru said, scowling. "Now try again. I know you can fight better than that."

Kabuto picked himself up, and got back into the ready position. He stood there thinking of what to do next, when Orochimaru suddenly struck him hard in the jaw.

"L-Lord?!" Kabuto stuttered in shock.

"You took too long to think of your move!" Orochimaru replied. "You've got to be faster!"

Kabuto found himself dodging attack after attack from Orochimaru, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get an opening for an attack of his own.

"Do you see now, why I told you to strike first?" Orochimaru questioned. "If you don't, you may lose the chance to strike at all."

"Yes, lord." Kabuto replied, his cheeks were burning with shame again.

Orochimaru stopped with his attacks, and said, "Now, we're going to start again, and this time you had better attack quickly."

Orochimaru sighed with impatience; Kabuto could be such an idiot at times.

This time, Kabuto jumped at Orochimaru, and ducking under his blow, nearly landed a kick on his stomach. Orochimaru brushed the kick aside, and said, "You were very close; if I'd have been any other than myself, you probably would have landed it."

"Really, lord?" Kabuto asked, breathing heavily; Orochimaru was so fast.

"I don't say things just to waste breath, Kabuto." Orochimaru said; sounding annoyed.

"Yes, Lord; I'm sorry." Kabuto answered.

Orochimaru didn't reply, he just continued to block Kabuto's attacks, and answered them with his own.

"Ack!" Kabuto coughed; Orochimaru had hit him in the solar plexus.

"You're forgetting to breathe." Orochimaru scolded, shoving the young man aside, he stood with his arms crossed over his chest. "I believe that we'll just have to postpone this until another time, seeing as how you keep fighting like a brand new Academy student."

Kabuto felt ashamed; why wasn't he ever good enough? Why?

He could do all kinds of medical jutsu, but when it came to fighting…he felt so useless against Orochimaru during their sparring sessions. He sighed; Lord Orochimaru hadn't even bothered to use jutsu today.

"_I am really tired today though…"_ Kabuto thought, consoling himself.

Orochimaru began to walk out of the training hall. "Come, Kabuto;" he called. "I'm off to get something to drink, and you look like you could use something before you pass out."

Sighing to himself, Kabuto reluctantly followed his master.

As they walked down the hall, Kabuto asked, "Aren't you going to stretch, lord?"

Orochimaru gave him a sharp look, and replied, "Later, I will. Why do you ask?"

Kabuto swallowed nervously, "You- You always stretch when you're finished training, Lord; I found it odd that you weren't tonight."

Orochimaru laughed menacingly, "Worry about yourself, Kabuto." he coldly replied.

"Yes, lord." Kabuto said.

When they got to the kitchen, Orochimaru pulled out a teakettle, and some tea leaves. He filled the teakettle with water, and set it on the stove.

Leaning back against the counter he muttered, "And now we wait for it to boil."


	4. Chapter 4: Meditation

_A/N: Just so you know, Kabuto's age is AU/OOC in this fic.  
__In this chapter he's about 13, and the story is taking place a few years after Orochimaru left the Hidden Leaf Village._

Kabuto looked towards the tealeaves, and hid a frown; Orochimaru was making green tea. He'd noticed that his lord was making it a lot lately, and he'd realized a long time ago that Orochimaru drank it the most when he had a lot of thoughts swirling in his head. He fleetingly wondered what had Orochimaru so worked up, but then he decided that he probably didn't want to know what thoughts thrived in his Lord's dark mind.  
The kettle whistled shrilly, and Orochimaru got two cups out of a nearby cabinet. Setting them on the counter, he put some tealeaves in the bottom of each one, and grasping the kettle's handle, he poured steaming water into the cups.

"Take one, Kabuto," he said quietly.

"Thank you, lord." Kabuto said solemnly.

Orochimaru threw a slender spoon at Kabuto who barely managed to catch it gracefully with his free hand. He nodded in thanks, and began to stir his tea.

Orochimaru watched his tea swirl as he stirred it. He sighed softly to himself; today had been almost too quiet.

"If I may ask," Kabuto said nervously. "Is something troubling you, lord?"

Orochimaru looked up from his tea, "I'm a man with many thoughts," he answered simply.

Kabuto waited for Orochimaru to continue, but then he realized that he  
wasn't going to, just like always.

"Of course, lord." Kabuto answered.

Orochimaru slid the spoon out of the tea, and set in gently on the counter; its metal surface gleamed in the dim lantern and candlelight that lit everything in their makeshift home. He lifted the cup to his lips, and blew quietly on its steaming contents. Parting his lips slightly, he took a cautious sip, and then satisfied that it was the right temperature, began to drink. He sighed, and closed his eyes as he sipped.

Kabuto took the spoon out of his own tea; it clanged as he set it on the counter. Orochimaru's eyes slid open, and he looked at the offending utensil.

"Sorry, lord." Kabuto said quietly.

Orochimaru ignored him, and went back to his tea.

Kabuto looked at the light green liquid in his cup; not bothering to blow on it, he took a gulp, and felt the warm drink course through him. He felt the cold that had seeped into his bones for days melt a bit. It was a nice feeling, an uncommon thing in this odd home.

As Orochimaru sipped his tea, he pictured it flooding out unwanted thoughts. _"Green tea is a much better relaxant than meditation," _he thought. _"Meditation…"_ he mused, the word held so much meaning.

_"Orochimaru! Stop fidgeting!"_ Sarutobi chided gently. _"Focus on your breathing, and meditate.__"_

"_Yes sensei," he quietly answered; he heard Jiraiya snicker softly beside him._

"_Oww…" Jiraiya moaned, and Orochimaru guessed that Tsunade had elbowed him so he'd be quiet. _

_Orochimaru tried to lose himself in his breathing, but his thoughts wouldn't stop. They were the same thoughts that had been troubling him ever since his mother died. Thoughts of immortality, and eternity…_

"_Just want to go play outside…" he heard Jiraiya grumble. "Do some research…"_

"_Sshh!" Tsunade scolded him._

"_Don't shush me, you little troll!" Jiraiya whispered._

"_Why you!" Tsunade said in a loud whisper._

"_Tsunade! Jiraiya! Concentrate!" Sarutobi said._

"_Yes sensei," they both answered in a reluctant tone._

_All was silent after that; Sarutobi opened his eyes slightly, and observed his students. Jiraiya was frowning angrily, and fidgeting; Tsunade was pouting a bit, and Orochimaru's forehead was creased, and a little frown was on his lips. Sarutobi frowned; he knew something was troubling the young boy, but he wasn't sure what._

"_Could it be his mother?" he thought. "I'll have to see if I can get him to talk later." Orochimaru wasn't a person to talk about his feelings and thoughts, and at times, it made dealing with him very complicated, but Sarutobi always managed to get at least a little bit out of him._

"_All right; that's enough for today." Sarutobi said._

"_Yeah! Finally!" Jiraiya shouted, jumping to his feet and running off._

_Tsunade scowled at him, and yelled, "Where do you think you're going, Jiraiya? Sensei said that we were finished meditating, not that we were dismissed!"_

_Sarutobi laughed, "It's all right, Tsunade," he said. "You're all free to go."_

"_Yes, sensei." Tsunade replied, getting to her feet. She gracefully walked out of the training hall. _

_Orochimaru stood up, and started to walk away, but Sarutobi stopped him._

"_Wait a moment, Orochimaru," he said. "I've been meaning to ask you; is something bothering you?"_

_Orochimaru looked away, "No sensei." he answered quietly._

"_Orochimaru," Sarutobi chided the boy. "Don't lie to me; I can tell when something's troubling you. Is it your mother?" he asked softly._

"_No…" Orochimaru replied. "Well…not really. I've just been thinking, sensei."_

"_About what?" Sarutobi asked, surprised._

"_Nothing of importance…" Orochimaru whispered._

"_I beg to differ; if these thoughts are what has been plaguing you for so long, they must be pretty important." Sarutobi answered._

"_I'd rather not talk about it, sensei. I just want to figure it out on my own." Orochimaru replied in a hard tone._

"_Well, if that's what you want," Sarutobi answered. "But remember, I'm here, if you change your mind."_

"_Yes, sensei." Orochimaru answered, and with that, he too left the hall._

"_Oh, Orochimaru," Sarutobi sighed. "What am I going to do with you?"_

Orochimaru set his empty cup on the counter, and turning to Kabuto said, "I'm going to my room. I will see you in the morning."

"Yes, lord." Kabuto answered obediently.


	5. Chapter 5: Temper

Orochimaru shut the door behind him, and walked over to his bookshelf. He picked up a few volumes, and sitting on his bed, he began to flip through them. Shivering, he scowled; his room was always too cold.

Getting up, he walked over to the fireplace, and using a short burst of fireball jutsu, set the wood inside it aflame. Going back to his bed, he stretched out, and lying on his stomach, went back to looking through the books. They were his most recent research logs; he scowled, the road to perfect immortality was infuriating. This nonsense of switching bodies he kept having to do was degrading. He needed someone strong; all these weak bodies were annoying to deal with. He was sure that Itachi Uchiha's body would be strong enough to contain his soul. He narrowed his eyes in anger, and hissed. Slamming the log in his hand shut, he shoved them all onto the floor in fury.

Viciously throwing the blankets on his bed back, he blew out the candles, then lantern, and slid under the covers; closing his eyes. Rage was boiling up in him, and though he tried his best to breathe deeply, his breath came out in ragged gasps. His entire body shook with anger. He glared at the ceiling, and cursed. He'd always had a temper.

"Orochimaru, calm down." his mother said, hugging him. "What's the matter?"

_Orochimaru scowled, "One of the other children at the Academy called me a freak." he answered._

_His mother frowned, "Oh sweetie, I'm sorry," she said, trying to comfort her five-year old son. "I wouldn't let it bother me though," she added smiling. "Some children are just like that. Why did he call you a freak though?"_

"_My skin…" he answered._

_His mother shook her head, "Well now that's just silly, isn't it? Calling someone a freak just because their skin is a different color than your own, is like making fun of someone because their eyes are blue, and not brown," she said, smiling. "And besides, Orochi, if you're a freak because of your skin, then so am I."_


	6. Chapter 6: Reference Material

**A/N: Sorry, I've been busy with the holidays, but now I'm back! I have a ton of this story written already, but it's hard to decide how to break it up into chapters.  
Anyway, HAPPY 2009!  
Heh, heh, and try not to clench your teeth in your sleep...it hurts. I know from experience. (sweatdrops)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Naruto related...(sigh)**

Orochimaru woke up early the next morning; he sat up, and yawned.

He grimaced; his jaw was sore.

He moved it to see if he could work the soreness out, when it didn't fade, he sighed.

"I must have slept with my teeth clenched again…" he muttered.

He got out of bed, on the side opposite to the one that was strewn with the research logs; then he smoothed the covers, and straightened the pillow. He looked around the room, and frowned; it was cold again, the fire had died out during the night. He sighed, it would have to wait, and he was about to leave the room anyway. He strode over to the closet, and pulled out a simple black shirt, and pants. Throwing them over his right arm, he stepped into his adjacent bathroom. He leaned over into the shower stall, and started the water; he wanted it to be steaming.

Then he walked over to the sink, and picked up his toothbrush; as he brushed his teeth, he listened to the water running in the shower.

It was a calming noise, which he sorely needed at the moment; today was looking as if it would take all of his self-control not to kill someone.

After he brushed his teeth, he took off his pajamas, and left them folded neatly on the bathroom counter. Then he walked into the shower, and slammed the door shut. The glass rattled; he grimaced, and took a deep breath.

"_I have to calm down," _he thought, listening to the running water. _"I must be composed." _

He focused on his breathing and tried to relax as the hot water ran over his body.

Later, as he was walking past his bed, about to go to the study, he caught sight of the discarded logs strewn beside his bed. He scowled, and his hands shook. He stepped out of his room, and shut the door loudly behind him. He passed by Kabuto, who had a bewildered look on his face at seeing Orochimaru so worked up.

"G-Good morning, lord!" he stuttered out.

"I'm going out for a bit, Kabuto." Orochimaru snapped; a dark look was on his pale face. "Have those research materials here when I return."

"Y-Yes, Lord." Kabuto said, blanching at the tone in his master's voice.

Outside, the snow was falling heavily. Orochimaru squinted to shield his eyes from the sudden brightness of the morning sun. Shivering, he raged at himself, and thundered back inside.

Kabuto looked up in surprise, "Are you all right, Lord?" he questioned.

"I just came in for a coat, Kabuto." he replied, seething. "Get yours on. We're going to get those materials now." he ordered.

"Yes, Lord." Kabuto answered, scrambling off to get his coat.

A few minutes later, they both strode out into the snow.

They walked the path to town in silence; Orochimaru was choked with rage, and Kabuto was silent out of a desire to not to get on his lord's bad side. He wondered what was wrong with the immortal ninja; he'd been very strange lately, which with Lord Orochimaru could be a very dangerous thing. Relief rushed throughout Kabuto when he caught sight of the bookshop.

"Good morning!" the clerk called when they walked in.

Orochimaru said nothing; he just walked over to the History section.

Kabuto smiled apologetically, and replied, "Good morning to you too!"

The clerk smiled, "Are you looking for anything in particular, or…?"

Kabuto shook his head; Lord Orochimaru preferred to find things on his own. "No, but if we run into any problems, I'll be sure to let you know." he replied.

"All right then," the clerk answered, beginning to dust the counter.

Reaching Orochimaru, Kabuto found him deeply absorbed in scanning book spines; his arms already held a few tomes.

When they reached the end of the History aisle, Orochimaru held four books in his arms; without a word, he went to the section that held information on all the Lands and their current states. He quickly went to the shelf that held all the books on the Village Hidden In The Mist.

He grabbed a few volumes and handed them to Kabuto.

"We're finished here." he hissed. "Let's go pay for these, and leave."

Kabuto nodded, "Yes, Lord." Orochimaru preferred to pay for things here, rather than steal them; it saved him a lot of trouble.

"Will this be all for you?" the clerk questioned.

"_No fool, I purposely brought less up here than I plan to pay for," _Orochimaru thought; he was in a foul mood. "Yes." he said.

"Okay," the clerk answered, quickly ringing up the total. Orochimaru handed him the money, and he said, "Thank you! Come again!"

"Oh, I'm sure we will." Orochimaru said in an annoyed tone. "Come, Kabuto." he called, walking out the door.

"Are we going to back now, lord?" Kabuto questioned.

Orochimaru pressed his lips together angrily, "Yes." he answered. "The sooner I know all about the Village Hidden in the Mist, the better."


	7. Chapter 7: A Different Choice

**A/N: Happy Late 2009!  
So far 2009 has been very unpredictable for me...and kinda sucky. XD Hope everyone else's is going well! :)**

The first thing Orochimaru did upon returning was to go straight to the study. He shoved a few books towards Kabuto, "Start scanning these." he ordered.

"Yes, lord." Kabuto replied, taking the books. He began to scan them for any, and all, helpful information. He was extremely cautious; if he missed anything, Orochimaru would be furious. He marked the useful things he came across with highlighter, just incase, but he doubted that it would be needed; he did have a photographic memory after all.

Across from him, Orochimaru was speeding quickly through a book; a furious scowl was on his features, all of this was wearing his patience farther down than it already was.

"You know, Kabuto..." Orochimaru said, his tone was quiet, and furious. "The people are strong in The Village Hidden In The Mist, but do you know why?"

Kabuto shook his head, "What do you mean, lord?"

"Do you have any idea how militant that land is?" Orochimaru demanded. "They are strong, ruthless, and it would be very difficult to defeat them." he said, answering the question for Kabuto.

Kabuto's eyes widened; if Lord Orochimaru was admitting this, then the Mist ninja had to be very formidable.

"They would recognize it immediately, if people began to disappear; especially if those people were ninja, like we need." Orochimaru reasoned, more to himself than to Kabuto. "No, I'd rather go to the Land Of Lightning." Orochimaru said with a smile.

Kabuto blinked, "The Land Of Lightning, lord?" he questioned. "But they're so close to us."

"Exactly," Orochimaru said with a satisfied smile. "They're practically in our backyard; only a bit of land separates us from them." He took in Kabuto's expression. "I need more specimens now, and so it only makes sense that we target a nearby land."

"Yes, lord." Kabuto answered.

"And besides," Orochimaru added, laughing. "I haven't learned very many Lightning jutsus."


	8. Chapter 8: It Begins

Rising early the next morning, Kabuto and Orochimaru began their journey to the Land Of Lightning. It was a cold, dreary morning; Kabuto shuddered at the thought of traveling in a blizzard. He wondered just how wise it was of Orochimaru to let his impatience dictate what they should do. He shivered, and glanced at Lord Orochimaru; he had a determined look in his eyes, and a vicious smile on his face.

Kabuto wondered if they would take the new specimens at night, or if they would take whomever they found at inconspicuous locations.

And just how many would they take?

"How many people are we going to need?" Kabuto asked.

Orochimaru shot him a sharp look, "At least four," he replied. "We'll take four initially, and if all goes well...we'll come for more later."

Kabuto pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose; they kept slipping; and nodded. "And if these four don't die?"

"Then," Orochimaru shrugged. "I'll decide my next move accordingly."

"Yes, lord." Kabuto answered.

"Why do you ask me these things, Kabuto?" Orochimaru questioned. "Could it be, that you're starting to doubt my judgment?" he asked in a hiss.

"N-no! I promise that's not it, lord!" Kabuto cried out.

Orochimaru smirked; "Awfully jumpy today, aren't we?" he asked.

Kabuto looked down at the ground, and continued walking; he heard Orochimaru laugh softly beside him.

"That won't do in the Land Of Lightning," he commented.

Kabuto didn't answer; he was trying to make himself become less jittery. He had to steel his emotions, like a true shinobi.

Soon, they were passing through the small town that lay next to the Village Hidden In The Sound.

Orochimaru smiled, "We're making good time," he said. "Let's run in that stand, and get some tea for those empty canteens." his face hardened, "Trust me, we're going to need it."

"Yes, lord." Kabuto replied.

Orochimaru gritted his teeth; he loved the fact that Kabuto had to call him 'lord,' but listening to that same phrase over, and over could become very trying.

He walked through the heavy curtains of the ramen stand; the bell gave a slight jingle. Orochimaru looked around to find the place empty, except for the owner, and an elderly man who was engrossed in a book as he ate his ramen.

"What can I do for you?" the owner questioned.

"I need enough tea to fill," Orochimaru paused, and set the canteens on the counter. "These."

The owner appraised the canteens, and nodded, "Sure," he replied. "Traveling somewhere?" he asked, as he filled the canteens.

"Yes, we're taking a trip to a village due west from here." Orochimaru lied.

"Ah, I here that's lovely country." the owner replied, continuing to make small talk. Orochimaru fought the urge to grind his teeth; he loathed useless conversation.

"Yes," Orochimaru replied. "I just hope it's warmer."

"Yeah," the owner said. "But you've got to admit, the snow sure is beautiful."

Orochimaru merely nodded; it was beautiful, but so very, very, cold.

Kabuto looked at the steam rising out of the canteen as the stand owner screwed the lid onto it, longingly. Orochimaru watched him out of the corner of his eye, and held back a glare; Kabuto just wouldn't do, if this was how things were going to be the entire trip.

Orochimaru gave the owner his money, and handed Kabuto a canteen.

Once they were outside, he turned, and scowled at the silver-haired boy, "Save the tea for later," he ordered.

"Won't it get cold?" Kabuto questioned.

Orochimaru's scowl deepened, "Of course it will, fool; but I'm one of the greatest ninja of all time! Do you think that I can't manage to do a single fire jutsu?" he demanded.

"Yes, lord. I apologize." Kabuto said, lowering his head.

Orochimaru just turned his gaze back to the path ahead, and began to walk through the snow at a furious pace. "Just see that it doesn't happen again," he hissed.

"Yes, lord." Kabuto quietly replied.

They walked, and walked until the path they had been walking on had been wilderness for hours, and then they didn't stop until the sun was no longer in the sky; at that point, Orochimaru sighed impatiently, and throwing off his pack, drew out a tent kit. He handed it sharply to Kabuto, and then watched as he tried to put it together; after thirty minutes, he walked over and shoved the young man away from his work.

"Lord?" Kabuto questioned.

"It's obvious that you're too incompetent to do this." Orochimaru answered angrily. "Watch, and learn something."

A few tormentingly silent minutes later, the tent stood fully assembled; Orochimaru stood beside it, his fierce glare of annoyance just barely visible to Kabuto.

Unzipping the door flap, he crawled in, and glared at Kabuto.

"What are you doing, fool?" he questioned. "Get in here."

Kabuto scrambled in hurriedly; he was desperate to not anger Orochimaru further.

"Get the lantern out of your pack, and set it on the floor." Orochimaru commanded.

Kabuto did as he was told, and lit the lantern frantically.

Pulling Kabuto's pack towards him; Orochimaru pulled out two packets of dried ramen noodles. Out of his own pack, he took out a canteen of water, and used a fire-style jutsu to warm it. He then put the ramen in two bowls, and poured a bit of water over them. Screwing the lid back onto the canteen, he set it back in his pack, and pulled out his canteen of green tea.

He held his hand out, and said, "Give me your canteen of tea," to Kabuto.

When he held both canteens, he blew on them gently with fire until the canteens irradiated warmth. He passed Kabuto his, and then unscrewed the cap on his own. Steam wafted from it, and Orochimaru took a careful sip; the warmth flowed through him at just the right temperature.

He grabbed two pairs of chopsticks from Kabuto's pack, and passed the other man a bowl of ramen, and a set of chopsticks.

"Thank you, lord." Kabuto said, and Orochimaru nodded in reply.

Kabuto took a sip of his own tea, and fought back a grimace; it was scalding hot. He wondered if Orochimaru had done it on purpose to get revenge on him. He tried not to shudder, and realized that that was probably the reason. He vowed silently to try even harder to not anger the pale man. The two ate and drank in silence. When they were done, they put back their things, and zipped up their packs.

Kabuto spied a bottle of sake in Orochimaru's; he briefly wondered why it was in there, but then he remembered that sake warmed you up. Orochimaru had probably brought in the event that one of them came down with hypothermia. He shivered, and hoped that it was warmer in the Land of Lightning. Orochimaru turned the lantern off without warning.

"It's time to sleep," he said.

Fabric rustled as the two brought out their sleeping bags, and spread them out. They slid into them without a word.

Kabuto pressed his arms to his sides, and steeled himself against the cold; little did he know that to the right of him, Orochimaru was shivering just as much as he was.


	9. Chapter 9: You're Folding It All Wrong!

When Orochimaru woke up, his limbs and muscles were stiff from the cold; his jaw was sore again from clenching his teeth all night.

He looked over at Kabuto, and saw that he was still asleep.

Getting out of his sleeping bag, he shoved the man's shoulder roughly.

"Get up!" he snapped.

"Huh? Wha-?" Kabuto muttered, pushing himself up into a sitting position, and looking around. Orochimaru sighed impatiently and waited for Kabuto to realize where he was.

Kabuto's face relaxed, and he put his glasses on.

"Good morning, lord." he said quietly.

"Get ready to move out." Orochimaru replied.

"Yes, lord." Kabuto answered, and Orochimaru ground his teeth furiously. They packed their things away swiftly; they were very practiced, and thus adept at it.

They ate a quick breakfast of granola, and water; when they had finished, Orochimaru stepped out of the tent.

"Come, Kabuto." he called.

Kabuto quickly scrambled after his master; when he stepped out of the tent, the world of military green transformed into a world of white again.

"Do you think that you have the intelligence to take the tent apart?" Orochimaru questioned.

Kabuto tried to think of answer, but none came to mind.

Orochimaru sighed angrily, and pointed to a portion of the tent. "Go take apart that half, Kabuto."  
He massaged his temples for a moment, and then added, "If you're able." Then he went over to the other half of the tent and began to dismantle it. Kabuto felt his face burn in humiliation; Orochimaru's harsh comments were still able to hurt him, even after all this time. He began to furiously slide the rods out of the fabric of the tent. Orochimaru was finished  
already, so he began to pour on even more speed. He heard Orochimaru laughing at him, and he jerked on the rod in his hands, only to feel dread seep through him when it didn't move. He jerked again, and still it wouldn't budge. He jerked harder, and still nothing happened. Beginning to get angry, Kabuto hurriedly looked for the source of the problem; the rod had gotten snagged on a loose thread. Taking out a kunai, he slid its tip carefully between the rod, and thread. Then with a quick push, the thread snapped. The rod came out easily at his next tug; his half of the tent fluttered gracefully to the ground. He picked up the tent and began to fold it, but Orochimaru snatched it from his grasp.

"You're folding it all wrong!" he snapped, and Kabuto stepped back cautiously. He watched his master fold the tent with the utmost precision. Orochimaru was ever the perfectionist; he observed. Orochimaru tucked the fabric that was the tent into his pack.

"Hand me the rods you took out; I already took up the stakes." he hissed.

"Here they are, lord." Kabuto said; handing over the snapped-apart rods.

Orochimaru carefully laid them into his pack, and then zipped up the opening. After taking a quick look around, he was sure that they hadn't left anything. Then, turning to the left, he said, "Let's go," over his shoulder to Kabuto.

Orochimaru began to think about the journey; they were making good time, true, but he wished they were already there. This was all taking too much time; the sooner he found the key to perfect immortality, the better. He guessed that they would be in the Land of Lightning in about three or fives days.  
_"Three days…three years…" _ he thought. _"Three years until each new body I take starts to degenerate." _He calculated how long he'd resided in this one. _"This body should have at least a year and a half left in it." _  
The body he currently possessed was the one of a young man, but he barely ever used its original form; he much more preferred to look like himself. He sighed, and hoped that the specimens they were off to procure would last a lot longer than the last group. _"Perhaps, the Land Of Lightning holds the key to the breakthrough." _

After they had walked a few hours, the wilderness they had been walking through became a path; Orochimaru walked up to a sign, and began to read.

"There's a town about forty minutes ahead of us." Orochimaru said. He glanced up at the sky; pink was creeping into its edges.  
"It will be dark soon, so I suppose we'll stay in this town for the night."

"Yes, lord." Kabuto said; a little nervousness began to grip his heart.  
He felt more comfortable in the wilderness than he did at the thought of being trapped in a town.

"I'll need to assume a different form, incase these people have heard of me." Orochimaru commented, and turning to Kabuto said, "I'm going to shift forms now."

Kabuto nodded, "Yes, lord. Should I disguise myself as well?" he asked.

"No," Orochimaru said. "No one yet knows where your allegiance lies, so just stay yourself for now."

"Yes, lord." Kabuto said; relieved that he wouldn't have to keep up with maintaining a transformation jutsu along with everything else.

"You can keep your name too." Orochimaru added.

"What shall I call you, lord? You are taking on a different name when we reach the town, aren't you?" Kabuto questioned.

"Of course I am, fool!" Orochimaru cried. "It would do me no good to turn back into this body's original form only to use my own name, now would it?" he demanded.

"No, lord, it wouldn't." Kabuto admitted.

"Exactly! So next time, why don't you think before you waste my time with a question that you could easily answer yourself?" Orochimaru reprimanded.

"Yes, lord." Kabuto answered.

Orochimaru turned his gaze away from Kabuto; a thoughtful expression was on his face as he pondered what name to use.

"I'll be Riku, for the duration of our stay there." he finally said.

"Yes, lo-"

Orochimaru shot Kabuto a dangerous look.

"What were you about to call me?" he demanded in a hiss. "It's mistakes like that that keep you at genin level. Do not call me 'lord' while we're here. I am simply Riku. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Riku." Kabuto answered. "It will not happen again."

"It had better not!" Orochimaru snapped. "Or I will punish you."

"Yes; I understand." Kabuto replied.

Orochimaru glared, and then began to do a few hand signs, "And now, to restore this body to its original appearance." he said.

The pale skin of Orochimaru darkened to a tan shade, his snake-like eyes became those of a normal young man; the irises were a warm hazel.  
His black hair lightened, and became a dark red.

"Take a good look, Kabuto;" he said. "You must remember what form I have taken on."

Kabuto observed the details of Orochimaru's new face, and coloring.

"Are you confident that you could find me in a crowd?" Orochimaru asked.

"Yes, I'll remember everything." Kabuto answered.

"Excellent." Orochimaru replied, grinning mischievously.

"How much further to the town?" Kabuto asked.

"Hmm…" Orochimaru thought. "At most only twenty-one minutes." he answered.

Kabuto nodded; he kept a smile off his face for now. He couldn't wait to be in a warm inn somewhere. A hot shower would be wonderful after all this cold.

"Odd…" Orochimaru muttered. "We haven't come across a single traveler."

"It is winter," Kabuto said.

"That's true," Orochimaru said, his eyes narrowing. "But, usually there's someone on a path like this. No matter what season it is."

"Perhaps we'll come across other people when we get closer to the town?" Kabuto suggested.

"Yes, perhaps." Orochimaru commented. "This must be a low traffic time for this road."

"I see it." Kabuto said in a low tone. "The town."


	10. Chapter 10: Blasted Cold!

**Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!!  
You know...St. Patrick cast out all the snakes in Ireland, so I doubt that Orochimaru would take a trip there. XD  
Anyway, may the luck of the Irish be with you! Enjoy the triple update!  
Oh, and to everyone who reads my Death Note, and Harry Potter fictions; don't worry, I have a lot things planned, it's just taking the time to sit down, and write it.  
Anyway, enjoy!**

When they reached the gates, two shinobi guards ushered them in; they're headbands were embossed with the symbol for the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

__

"What are they doing here?"

Kabuto and Orochimaru walked at a quick pace down the cobblestone path that seemed to be the theme of the town. They scanned all the buildings looking for something that resembled an inn.

People in brightly colored winter robes passed by them.

Children played in the snow that covered all the ground by the streets.

All around there were people; laughing, smiling people. This was obviously a town at peace. Kabuto looked at them; the sight stirred his heart, and he smiled. It reminded him of his childhood, before…his smile faded and he had to stop himself from looking towards Orochimaru; before, it had all gone wrong, and he'd ended up all alone…until Orochimaru had found him, and offered him a chance…a chance to rise up, and make something of himself. Kabuto set his mouth into a determined line, and whatever happened, he would try his best to never let his master down. Orochimaru looked at the people, and smirked.

__

"Such fools,"

"Stop jumping like a scared child!" he said, scowling at Kabuto.

"Yes, I'm sorry." Kabuto replied, shaken from his reverie about the people, and the past.

"Good evening! How are you?" a passerby called to them.

"Just fine, and you?" they answered without even stopping to think about it.

"I'm wonderful! Have a good day!" the passerby called over her shoulder.

he thought. _"Look at them…wasting what little time they have." _He laughed viciously, and he saw Kabuto start from the sound. _"Idiots…they could be out making something of themselves."_ Orochimaru thought. _"Maybe this is their mission? Could they have been hired to guard this place? We are in a land between Villages, after all." _He smiled. _"Yes, that has to be it. Which means by tomorrow night, we should reach the outskirts of our destination."_

They echoed something of the same sentiment, and kept on their way.

As they walked on, several other people greeted, and welcomed them; Orochimaru was beginning to get impatient at all their useless jargon.

He, and Kabuto continued to scan all the buildings they passed; an inn was beginning to look like a thing of myth in this town.

Finally allowing his impatience to get the best of him, Orochimaru look towards Kabuto, and said, "I see a sushi stand up ahead; let's drop in and see what they can tell us about this place." he said, and then for appearances' sake he added, "What do you think?"

Kabuto started to look surprised, but then he remembered that Orochimaru was pretending that he was on equal standing with him.

"Sounds great, Riku!" Kabuto said, his tone seeped with enthusiasm.

Orochimaru forced a smile onto his face, and led the way.

The smells of fish, fried rice, and sake assaulted them as they strode into the stand. Warmth covered them; it was a welcome change from the bitter cold. They sat down in a booth, and a woman quickly came up to take their drink order.

"Green tea," Orochimaru answered.

The woman then looked at Kabuto, "I'll have the same," he replied.

The woman nodded, and walked off to get the tea.

Kabuto was glad that Orochimaru hadn't ordered sake; the last time the great shinobi had drank hadn't turned out very well. He shuddered; Lord Orochimaru was a mean drunk, when he wasn't being one of the depressed ones.

Orochimaru stared out the window; a bored, yet impatient expression was on his face.

Kabuto smirked; Orochimaru certainly had a problem with keeping that impatience in check.

"Something the matter?" he asked, and Orochimaru slowly turned to face him.

"It's nothing; I was just thinking." Orochimaru answered.

"Ah, I see." Kabuto replied.

"Here you are," the woman said; setting a teapot and two glasses in front of the two men.

"Thank you," Kabuto said.

"No prob!" the woman said, giving them the thumb's up, and then she pulled out a notebook. "So, what are you guys in the mood for?"

They both ordered some non-out of the ordinary sushi, and some fried rice.

The woman smiled, and said, "It'll be right out, guys."

Then she turned around, and walked off to place the order, and then she would go back to scurrying from table to table.

Orochimaru blew on his tea, and took a sip; he smiled briefly before setting his glass back onto the table.

"When that woman comes back," he said. "I'm going to ask her where the nearest inn is."

Kabuto nodded, "What's the plan for tomorrow?" he asked.

"We continue on; we need to travel farther in, before we grab anything." Orochimaru answered. "But tonight, we are going to get some rest away from the reach of this blasted cold!"


	11. Chapter 11: If Power Was A Woman

Kabuto smiled, "That sounds good." he replied.

Orochimaru just smirked, and then took another sip of his tea.

When the waitress came back with their order though, Kabuto noticed that he exchanged the smirk for a pleasant smile.

"Excuse me, miss," Orochimaru said in a kind voice to grab her attention.

"Yes?" she asked, smiling back, as she ran her fingers through her hair nervously. Kabuto knew that Orochimaru was fighting back a laugh, or at least a smirk at the woman's reaction.

"Could you please tell my friend and I were the nearest inn is?" Orochimaru asked in the same tone of kindness.

"Sure thing!" the woman exclaimed, happy to be of service. "It's about ten minutes down the street from here," she said, pointing in the direction of the inn. "The Dragon's Inn, it's called; I hear it's a pretty nice place." she commented, smiling.

"Ah, thank you." Orochimaru said

"N-No problem," the waitress said dreamily. "Just let me know if you need anything," she said, walking back to the kitchen.

Orochimaru laughed, "Remind me to leave her a good tip," he said.

Kabuto nodded, "Of course." He knew that Orochimaru was only going to leave the woman a good tip to toy with her. Kabuto didn't think it was possible for Orochimaru to love anyone or anything, besides himself, and power.

__

"If power was a woman,"

Kabuto thought. _"Orochimaru would both marry, and worship her."_

"What are you smirking about?" Orochimaru asked.

Kabuto thought up a quick lie; "Just life," he answered. "Life, and people, the tangled webs of lives that they live; it is all so…intriguing."

Orochimaru nodded, "Yes, I've always thought so too." He leaned back in his seat, and looked thoughtful, before looking back at Kabuto. "And what do you think of the people here?" he questioned.

Kabuto adjusted his glasses, and thought before answering; "They seem to be very content people; very happy, and at peace, friendly too, they don't seem like they could be easily provoked."

Orochimaru nodded, "Yes, I got that impression too. Have you noticed anything else?" He took a bite of ramen, and then drank some tea while he waited for Kabuto to answer.

"Yes, besides those two at the gate, and ourselves, there are no other shinobi here. Also, no one around here appears to be armed; they are very lax protection-wise, in their peace." Kabuto replied.

Orochimaru smiled, "Very good," he commented. "You are very observational, as always."

"Thanks." Kabuto said, grinning. "But if I wasn't observant, what kind of ninja would that make me?"

"A dead one." Orochimaru answered, laughing; it was a frequent joke between him, and Kabuto.

"Precisely," Kabuto answered, fixing his glasses again.

"You really need to get those fitted." Orochimaru commented, looking at Kabuto's glasses.

Kabuto sighed, and nodded, "I keep meaning to, but I just never can find the time." Orochimaru laughed at that, before taking another sip of his tea.

"Yes, we always do manage to stay quite busy in the up and coming 'Village Hidden in the Sound,' don't we?" he asked.

"That we do," Kabuto replied, and then he stopped to eat a bite of ramen. "But it seems to me that it's always better to be busy, than to have nothing at all to do." he added, after he had swallowed.

"True." Orochimaru answered; then he finished the last of his tea, and ramen, and stood up. "Ready to go?" he asked Kabuto, who knew it was an order rather than an actual question.

Swallowing the last bite of his ramen, he got to his feet, and said, "Of course."

"Oh, but before we go," Orochimaru said quietly, as he pulled out his wallet. "I have one more thing to do." He pulled out a pretty large tip, and left it on the table; then he laughed, walked over to the exit, pulled back the curtain, and walked back out into the town with Kabuto following behind him.

The cold hit them like a wave in the ocean; Kabuto's teeth began to chatter, and he noticed that Orochimaru was shivering.

Orochimaru turned to the left, and motioned for Kabuto to follow.

"The woman said that this 'Dragon's Inn' was this way," he said in a shivering sort of voice. "She had better have been right about the amount of time it takes to get there." he added in a hiss.

Kabuto nodded, and hoped that the woman had been correct too; he was very weary of all this cold. As they walked, they both continued to observe the people, although at the moment, not many were out; most of them were in their homes eating dinner. The few that were out that continued to be just as happy as the ones they had came across earlier.

Orochimaru shook his head at their foolishness, but then he shrugged, and thought, _"This is why I will be the ultimate being, and not them."_ He smirked, and then he went back to searching for the inn. He could make out a sign ahead, it was a bit hard to discern what it said because of the vicious wind, but he was almost certain that it said "The Dragon's Inn."

"I see it, Kabuto." he called.

"Is that it just up ahead?" Kabuto asked, his voice was faint from being whipped around by the wind.

"I believe so." Orochimaru answered.

With their goal in sight, the two increased their speed, and powered through the cold, and the wind. Soon, they were walking into the door of the inn.

The innkeeper smiled, "Welcome!" she called. "What can I do for you? Perhaps a room or two? Some sake, maybe?" she questioned. "Or maybe you two are just stepping in out of the cold? Any of these is fine, but if you're trouble makers who think they can come in and start something, you just better turn around, and walk yourselves back out, because I am not one to be trifled with." she recited in a practiced tone.

Orochimaru laughed, _"Finally someone who realizes that not everyone is a friend." _He smiled, and said, "Don't worry, we aren't here to bring you trouble; we just want a room for the night."

The woman relaxed, "Ah, good then." she replied, and took a key down from the wall. "Follow me then." She walked over to a set of stairs, and began to climb them; Orochimaru and Kabuto following behind.

"Here you are," she said. "Anything else you need?"

Orochimaru took the key from here, and shook his head, "No, this will be fine. Thank you," he said.

The woman nodded, "Well then, if you need anything, I'll be downstairs." With those words said, she turned away, and went back down the stairs without a sound.

__

"I wonder how long she's ran this place? She knows the stairs almost too well."

Kabuto thought.

Orochimaru unlocked the room, and stepped inside; Kabuto quickly followed. It was a simple room with two beds, and a connected bathroom.

The walls were white, and a row of windows ran the back wall; they were heavily curtained with deep purple material, and everything was very clean. Orochimaru looked around and nodded; this place would do perfectly.

"We will have to remember this place when we pass back through here." he said.

Kabuto nodded, and committed The Dragon's Inn's location, and name to his memory effortlessly.

"Well," Orochimaru quietly said. "I suppose there is nothing left to do for today." He walked over to a bed, and pulled the covers back. He took his shoes off, and tidily sat them on the floor next to the bed. "We should go to bed," he said.

Kabuto nodded, "Sounds good." he replied; taking off his own shoes, and putting them near his pack as Orochimaru had done. Then he threw back the blankets on his bed, and climbed into his bed. Across the room, Orochimaru did the same, and then he reached over and turned off the lantern that lit the room.

"Good night then," Kabuto said.

Orochimaru didn't answer; he was too consumed in his own thoughts. Fighting them away, he closed his eyes, concentrated on his breathing for a few minutes, and fell asleep.


	12. Chapter 12: Childhood Wonder

A/N: Hey everybody!

I'm sorry that I haven't been putting up as much work, but during this economic recession, my family, and I have moved in with my grandparents to help them during this time. Unfortunately, you can only get dial-up internet in my grandparents' city, and so, I'm only getting to a place with WiFi about once a week, and it usually is just for enough time for me to check my e-mail.

I'm practicing driving almost everyday though, so soon, I should have my license, and then I can drive to a WiFi source whenever. Happy Easter!

-Bre

They set off from the small town early the next morning; as the town faded away, Kabuto remembered what the innkeeper had said, after Orochimaru had paid her for the room, and for breakfast.

"_Thank you," she'd said with a quick nod. "Good luck in your travels, and may you come again." She had been silent for a moment. "Wait!" she'd called, right as they'd been about to leave. "You two are off to the Land Of Lightning, aren't you?" she'd questioned._

"_Yes," Orochimaru had replied. "Why? Is there a war going on there now?"_

_The woman had shaken her head, "No; it's just-" she had stopped speaking, and sighed. "Well, watch yourselves there. I hear there are some…unusual shinobi wandering around there, well in all the Lands, lately." _

"_Ah, I see," Orochimaru had answered. "Thank you." _

"_No problem!" the woman had exclaimed, going back to her former, and positive demeanor. "Have a good trip! Good-bye!" she had called out, waving them off._

"Those unusual ninja the woman spoke of," Kabuto said hesitantly. "Do you think it is Akatsuki, or Kekkei Genkai?" he questioned.

Orochimaru frowned, "I'm not sure," he admitted. "It may very well be both." He smiled, and licked his lips, "But either way, we're sure to see some very interesting jutsu."

Kabuto grinned; Orochimaru's thirst for power never ceased to amaze, and yet also frighten him. _"Say he does manage to become this 'ultimate being,' what will he do when he gains all the power there is to obtain?"_ A chill went through him at the thought of all the possible outcomes of that scenario. Since they had been out of sight of the town, roughly five hours ago, they had been running without rest. Kabuto hoped that they would stop to at least drink some water soon, but when he looked at Orochimaru he saw that his master wasn't even breaking a sweat.

"_I guess stopping anything soon is definitely out of the question," _he thought, fighting back a sigh. The land in between lands had faded away a few hours ago; they were now in the southern edge of the Land of Lightning. Orochimaru was feeling very pleased; they had exceeded his expectations in speed, and thus he, and Kabuto were a full day ahead of schedule. Running through deserted areas where people hadn't asked question had proven to been even better than he'd thought.

"We should hit another town, or city soon," he said to Kabuto.

"Wonderful," Kabuto commented, hoping that Orochimaru would find some of what he was looking for very soon. He was actually beginning to miss the lair back in the Village Hidden in the Sound. His research was calling to him. _"Only a few more days of this…I hope." _he thought.

In the distance they could make out misty mountains, the peaks of which where obscured by clouds.

"Up there," Orochimaru said, gesturing at the peaks. "In one of those peaks, lies the Village Hidden in the Clouds."

"Are we going there?" Kabuto asked.

Orochimaru shook his head, "I don't think so. I believe that we'll be able to find what we need without going to the village."

Kabuto nodded, and felt thankful; he'd heard that the Cloud ninja were a tough people.

They continued to run, and when the sun was a huge orange sphere in the sky, the mountains appeared to be no closer, and there wasn't a town in site.

Orochimaru frowned, "It would seem that the people here prefer the mountains over flat earth." he commented.

"_Well, at least it's gotten warmer." _Kabuto thought.

"Let's keep running." Orochimaru said.

"Are we going to run throughout the night?" Kabuto asked, curious.

"Yes," Orochimaru answered. "We will keep on until about 2, or 3 in the morning," he looked at Kabuto's dispirited expression, and said, "Unless I say otherwise; is that a problem?"

"No," Kabuto said. "It's not a problem at all."

"Chunin often go without sleep," Orochimaru stated. "Consider this preparation for the exams."

Kabuto clenched his teeth; there he went, throwing his failure at the exams in his face again.

"_For crying out loud! It was my first time to take it!" _Kabuto thought angrily. _"And I was 11, what more does he want?" _he looked towards Orochimaru, and added. _"Sorry, I'm not a freaking genius like you, Lord Orochimaru."_

"Yes, lord." Kabuto replied, plastering a smile unto his face. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," Orochimaru answered. "After all, we want you to pass those exams, now don't we?"

Night fell quickly; it was a brisk, star-filled night. Kabuto looked up at the stars, and smiled; he, and his father had once star gazed together almost every night, because of this, he knew so much about the heavens, and yet so little all at once.

Orochimaru ignored the stars; they held no beauty for him anymore, the wonder they had held over him as a child had disappeared long ago.

"_Which star is that one, sensei?" Orochimaru asked; his small face was drowned in curiosity. _

_Sarutobi squinted, and took in the star, and all the area surrounding it, "That's emptiness," he answered solemnly. "See the four Judges?" he asked, pointing them out. _

_Orochimaru nodded, "Why does the Black Tortoise hold Emptiness?"_

"_I'm not sure," Sarutobi admitted. "That's just the way, it's always been." he said with a smile. _

"_Ah," Orochimaru said, and then he went back to look at the constellations. "The Four Judges," he said in awe. "The Judge Of Life, The Judge Of Rank, The Judge Of Right and Wrong, and…The Judge Of Disaster, and Good Fortune." he recited solemnly. _

"_Very good, Orochimaru!" Sarutobi exclaimed; the small boy's intelligence never ceased to amaze him. _

"_Thank you, sensei." Orochimaru said in a shy voice._

_He hugged the five year old close to him, to protect him from the cold._

"_Would you like me to tell you the names of the other stars in that constellation?" he asked._

"_Yes, please, sensei." Orochimaru answered, a smile appeared on his pale face._

"_All right then; there is Crying, Weeping, Celestial Ramparts, Decayed Mortar, and Ladies' Jade Ornament," he said; he was about to add more when he felt the small boy shaking. He looked down at his student; silent tears were falling down his cheeks. "Orochimaru?" he asked quietly. "Are you all right? I'm sorry, I didn't stop to think about the names of the stars, and what they might remind you of."_

"_No, sensei; don't worry about it…" Orochimaru whispered, his voice threatened to break into a sob. _

"_I'm sure that they are watching over you," Sarutobi told him in a gentle voice. "And I bet they are very proud." _

"_Really?" Orochimaru asked, sniffling._

"_Yes." Sarutobi said, smiling at Orochimaru. "I know I would be."_

"_Th-thank you, sensei." Orochimaru said._

"_It's all right you know," Sarutobi said. "To mourn them."_

"_A shi-shinobi must never show emotion." Orochimaru said, fighting back tears._

"_Don't be so hard on yourself," Sarutobi said, trying to comfort the boy. "They were your parents; even shinobi may mourn when their parents move on to the next stage of life."_

"_Did you?" Orochimaru questioned in a voice so quiet that Sarutobi wasn't even sure if the boy hadn't actually spoken._

"_Of course," he answered._

_After those words had been said, Orochimaru let down the control that had held his sobs back, and kept them from wracking his body. He cried, and cried until it seemed that he had cried enough tears to create a river. At last, he exhausted himself, and became quiet. _

_Sarutobi waited a few moments before speaking, and then he said, "Would you like me to tell you your Zodiac signs? My grandmother used to tell mine to me on nights like these."_

"_Okay," Orochimaru said._

"_Remember though, they're only for fun; you shouldn't take them seriously," Sarutobi warned._

"_Yes, sensei; I won't." Orochimaru replied._

"_All right then, according to the Northwest you are the Snake; according to this, you should do well with money, and have more than enough, you also tend to hang back to analyze situations, and to take in the details, and no for the not so favorable qualities they say the Snake holds; they tend to jealous, and are insecure deep down. Now, for your Zodiac according to the West, you are a Scorpio; this means that you are imaginative, persevering, determined, highly passionate, self-confident, ruthless in pursuing your goals, and adept at triumphing over the odds._

_It also agrees with your Northwestern Zodiac in a way, because one of the three animal signs of Scorpio is a snake. Your sign is deeply rooted in these matters: birth, death, transformation, deeply rooted relationships of all kinds, and the occult. Now, for your Blood-type Zodiac; since you are a type B, your qualities in this matter are as follows: you are curious, and interested in everything, you excel rather than just being average, yet you tend to become so involved in your own world, or get so carried away with something, that you tend to neglect things. You give an outward appearance of being happy, full of energy and enthusiasm, but people tend to think that you are different on the inside, and there you are; three different views on yourself based on your blood-type, and your birth date." _

_Orochimaru looked at him with wide eyes, "Wow, sensei, that's really neat," he breathed in awe._

_Sarutobi laughed, "Yes it is, but remember," he said with a wink. "It's not serious."_

_Orochimaru smiled and laughed, "I know, sensei! After all, the stars don't know me at all!" he exclaimed._

"_Exactly! Now come on, it's getting a bit chilly out here; what do you say to going inside and getting some green tea?" Sarutobi asked._

_Orochimaru's smile grew brighter, "That sounds great, sensei!" he cried._

"_Can we race each other back to the house?" he asked shyly._

"_Sure thing!" Sarutobi answered. "Ready? Go!" _

_And with that the two ran back towards the house, laughing the entire way._


	13. Chapter 13: Different Views

Two am came quickly, and the mountains were looming above them, merely a short distance away. Kabuto's limbs felt like air, and it was like he wasn't attached to himself anymore; exhaustion slowly crept through him. _"I hope…we stop soon…"_ he thought, and even his mental voice sounded detached and far off.

Orochimaru looked over his shoulder at the young man, "We are so close to the mountains," he said. "I believe that the best thing to do is to just keep going."

"Yes…lord," Kabuto replied, too tired to argue.

Orochimaru faced the terrain ahead of him, and smiled; he could tell that Kabuto was exhausted, but he decided that going on would help the young man gain higher endurance levels. _"What doesn't kill you, will only make you stronger," _he thought, laughing at this little inside joke. _"Besides, he needs to gain more stamina anyway. Who ever heard of a shinobi who couldn't do a little all day running?"_

Kabuto sighed to himself, and watched his footing carefully; it wouldn't do to trip. Orochimaru was obviously very impatient to get finished with this if he was willing to run all night. The stars were hanging so low in the sky now, Kabuto felt as if he could just reach out and effortlessly grab a handful of them. He smiled; it really was beautiful country out here. The land was starting to become less smooth, and a few trees popped up here, and there. The mist hung over the mountains, like a gossamer yet concealing curtain; hiding the secrets of this land.

A nighthawk swooped by with a shrill cry, and dove into the tall grass that surrounded everything; it came up to Kabuto's hips, and it moved with the light wind with a slight swishing sound. The hawk swiftly flew into view once more; a mouse was clutched tightly in its talons. He watched as it flew into one of the trees; it set down its prey, and began to tear into its flesh.

Kabuto shuddered, and looked away; up ahead he heard Orochimaru say, "No, Kabuto; don't turn away. That is a perfect demonstration of what happens to weak prey when cornered up by a strong predator." He laughed; it was a harsh, cold sound. "Ironically, it's a very good example of life; if you have the intelligence to think that deeply."

"You mean in the way that the weak fall beneath the strong?" Kabuto asked.

"Yes, but there can be other meanings to be found in it too." Orochimaru said. "You see, that bird has the power to fly, and the rodent doesn't; it's sort of like average shinobi, and then shinobi with heightened abilities, or…" he stopped speaking, and licked his lips. "Kekkei Genkai. Like the Uchiha," he said, finishing his sentence.

Kabuto nodded in understanding; that was the way it always seemed to be, but what Lord Orochimaru didn't- no couldn't realize was that occasionally, the weak would rise up against the powerful.

"_If the one holding that power is corrupt that is,"_ he thought.

He looked at Orochimaru and found himself wondering what kind of person he had been before his thirsts for power and immortality had tempted him to go down a different path.

"_Was he always this way?" _he thought. _"How could the Third Hokage not have seen these obsessions in him? Or for that fact, if he's always been this way; what did his own parents think of him?" _Kabuto searched his memory for any instance when Orochimaru had mentioned his parents. _"Come to think of it, he's never spoken about them before. Was he an orphan from birth? It's best not to think of it," _he smirked. _"It's not like I will ever find the answer anyway." _

"I think we should be in the mountains by the time the sun rises," Kabuto commented, and Orochimaru laughed.

"Wonderful!" he said. "I'm very pleased with our timing," he added.

"Yes; we have made very good timing, haven't we?" Kabuto replied.

Orochimaru chose not to answer; he just smiled, and turned his gaze back to the land ahead that they had left to traverse.

The mountains were a menagerie of colors; reds, yellows, and oranges, but towards the peaks, they were white with snow.

"The Land of Lightning is a very diverse place," Kabuto commented.

"Yes, it is; once you leave the mountains, you reach the coast." Orochimaru said.

"I hear it's beautiful there," Kabuto said, he tried to imagine what it was like, but couldn't quite get a clear picture; he'd never had the chance to see the ocean.

Orochimaru didn't reply, and Kabuto wanted to sigh, he should have known that Orochimaru wasn't going to describe the ocean to him, even if he had seen it.

"And in it's western territories," Orochimaru continued on. "There are deserts; it's a land of many climates."

Kabuto nodded, and then taking a deep breath to steel himself, asked, "What is like?"

Orochimaru looked at him sharply, "What is what like?" he asked, trying to intimidate Kabuto out of asking him meaningless things.

"The- the ocean," Kabuto said, feeling embarrassed, and stupid all at the same time.

"It's just a vast thing of water," Orochimaru said in a scornful tone. "It isn't anything impressive, Kabuto."

"Yes, lord." Kabuto replied, he felt disappointed at the lack of description, but even worse than that, was Orochimaru's tone.

"_Why are you so hateful about everything that has nothing to do with what you lust after?" _Kabuto thought desperately. _"Ah well, maybe one of the Sound ninja can tell me sometime, or maybe I can find a book with pictures of the ocean."_

_A/N: I really miss my internet! I miss getting to upload things… _

_Anyway, hope everybody out there is having an awesome day!_


	14. Chapter 14: Slithery Luck

**A/N: I have my license!!! YAY! :D**

As the sky began to glow pink, and orange with the rising sun, Orochimaru and Kabuto at last entered the mountains.

The light wind from the plain had followed them there, and it swirled around them, and throughout the trees, making leaves flutter to the ground gently like butterflies.

Kabuto took a deep breath of the air, and smiled; it was wonderful.

It had obviously rained there recently, for the air had the beautiful earthy, yet watery smell that accompanied that world afterwards.

Mist surrounded them as well, it was softly wafting about, and no matter how fast they went, they never caught up with the mist ahead of them.

Kabuto doubted that it would be possible to catch up with the mist behind them as well. He took a deep breath again, this place was almost magical, it was so serene. _"It's like something out of the stories that father used to read me," _he thought.

Orochimaru looked at the world around them with boredom, and disdain in his eyes; this was all just an obstacle that kept them away from reaching his goal as soon as he would like. He found no beauty in it, only hindrance and obstruction.

"_This had better be worth all the time it's going to take," _he thought.

They continued to run well into the morning and Kabuto was starting to wonder if they would ever stop.

"_We haven't even eaten since we left the Dragon's Inn," _he thought. _"I had better not say anything though," _he swallowed. _"I really don't want to anger Orochimaru. Maybe he wants to run until we reach whatever town is last on his list?" _Kabuto wondered. _"Wherever that is, please let it be close," _he prayed.

They ran, and ran, and Kabuto couldn't remember a single time he had been as exhausted as he was now. He had to be even more cautious with his footing now than ever before, which didn't help matters; the ground was treacherous further into the mountain range, there were rocks, sticks, and roots sticking up everywhere.

"_And they're all just in the right place to trip me up," _he sighed. _"I'd rather not see what would happen if I was to fall." _

Orochimaru stopped suddenly, and kneeled down on the ground.

"Lord?" Kabuto asked, concealing his alarm.

Orochimaru didn't answer, he seemed to be absorbed in observing something.

Kabuto crept up behind his master's shoulder quietly; he kneeled down too, and searched for whatever had caught Orochimaru's eye.

"_A snake?" _he thought in askance. _"He stopped to look at a snake? Unbelievable!" _

"Isn't it gorgeous, Kabuto?" Orochimaru whispered, in awe of the creature.

"Yes, lord; it's beautiful." Kabuto answered. _"Honestly, I'll never understand his fixation with those serpents."_

The snake was pure white, with soft gray eyes.

"_I'd guess it's about four feet long," _Kabuto thought.

The snake flicked its tongue in and out curiously.

Orochimaru carefully picked it up; it slithered up his arm, and stretched itself across his shoulders.

Orochimaru smiled, "It would seem that she would like to come along with us."

"_How does he know it's female?" _Kabuto wondered, but being afraid to know the answer to that question, he just smiled, and said, "Yes, lord; that's what it looks like."

"I always did have a way with snakes," Orochimaru commented, petting the snake. "You are going to need a name," he said to it. "Tsuki," he decided after thinking for a few moments. "That will be your name for now."

_Why did he name it 'Luck?'" _Kabuto wandered. "Lord Orochimaru, may I ask a question?" he asked cautiously.

"You just asked one," Orochimaru answered smirking. "But by all means, go ahead, and ask another."

Kabuto felt relief flow through him; find Tsuki had obviously put Orochimaru in a good mood.

"Why did you name the snake 'Luck?'" he asked.

"Why, Kabuto; don't tell me you don't know what they say about white snakes?" Orochimaru exclaimed.

"No, lord, I'm afraid I don't know." Kabuto replied feeling mystified; he hadn't known that white snakes were special.

"They represent immortality, and reincarnation; new life basically." Orochimaru said, and Kabuto nodded.

"Ah, I see," he said. "That is lucky," he added, laughing in a show of false happiness. _"Now I understand why you think it's so lucky," _he thought, now that he knew that answer, he found it very unsurprising.

After a few more hours of travel, they finally stopped to rest.

Kabuto sat down in the tent, and fought back the need to sleep with every part of his will. Orochimaru handed him a cup of tea, and a bowl of ramen. Kabuto accepted it, he felt more than grateful for the meal; he quickly thanked all the gods he could think of for it, and for finally being able to rest. While he was waiting for the water to soften his ramen, Orochimaru was feeding Tsuki dried pieces of meat. The snake gulped them up eagerly; when he was finished eating he slithered up Orochimaru's right arm, and laid down across his shoulders to rest.

Orochimaru stroked the snake gently with his right hand, as he held his cup of tea with his left. He sipped his tea quietly, and listened to the world around him. _"It's surprisingly silent right now," _he thought. _"The sun's beginning to set, I would have thought that all sorts of creatures would be coming out right now."_

Kabuto gulped his tea down; his throat was so dry that the liquid stung the first few swallows. He poured himself some more tea, and setting it down for the moment, he picked up his ramen and began to devour it ravenously. Orochimaru laughed to himself about Kabuto's behavior, _"He's consuming it just like a starving dog," _he thought, smirking at how amusing the scene was.

When Kabuto finished his ramen, he still felt hungry, but he didn't dare ask for more. _"No, I'll just have to wait until we reach the next town." _he thought. _"Besides, I'm almost a Chunin, it won't be difficult at all."_


	15. Chapter 15: First Pet

They rose early the next morning, packed up all their things, and began to run again. Kabuto's muscles ached with each step he took, but Orochimaru seemed to be unaffected by their long journey. Tsuki was lying on his shoulders again; he flicked his little tongue in and out, tasting the cool, and misty morning air. Orochimaru stroked him absentmindedly as he ran; snakes were his favorite creature.

"_Look mother! Look what I found!" Orochimaru cried out excitedly._

"_A baby snake?" his mother looked at the little creature. "That's wonderful, Orochimaru. Where did you find it?" she asked._

_Orochimaru beamed at his mother's praise, "It was out in the yard! I found it slithering around," he answered._

"_Oh, it's so cute, but be careful that it doesn't bite you." his mother said. _

"_Is it poisonous?" Orochimaru asked, his eyes widening a little._

"_No, no," his mother answered, smiling. "If it bites, you won't die, it will just hurt." _

"_Ah, okay," Orochimaru, replied, running his index finger down the snake's slim back. "May I show it to father?" _

"_Of course you can!" his mother said. "I'm sure he'd like to see it very much."_

_Orochimaru smiled and ran off to find his father; he was inside the house filling out some papers._

"_Uhmm," Orochimaru said nervously, unsure of whether or not to disturb his father._

_The man looked up and smiled at his son, "What have you got there?" he asked, grinning._

"_A snake!" Orochimaru replied, quickly coming over to his father's side. "It was outside in the yard."_

"_Well, it's certainly has beautiful scales, doesn't it?" his father commented, and Orochimaru nodded, and looked at the creature happily._

_The snake flicked its tongue at the boy, who laughed delightedly; then it began to wrap itself around Orochimaru's arm._

_Orochimaru looked at it, "Does it like me?" he asked, looking nervously at its small, coiled body._

"_I think so," his father answered. "Be careful that it doesn't wrap itself too tightly; we wouldn't want it to hurt you."_

"_Yes, father," Orochimaru answered._

"_Hmm," his father hummed. "Maybe you should keep it as a pet? It seems to like you quite a lot." _

_Orochimaru's eyes widened, and he gasped excitedly, "Really? Could I?" he asked._

_His father shrugged, "If your mother is fine with it, then I see no problem in you having a pet."_

_Orochimaru smiled, "Thank you, but," he stopped, and looked at the tiny snake. "What if it doesn't want to live here? What if it's happier outside?"_

"_Nonsense," his father said. "It would be a lot better off living here, then that hawk that's been flying around won't be after it."_

"_You're right!" Orochimaru cried out in alarm. "I wouldn't want Hebi to be eaten!" _

"_Hebi, huh?" his father questioned. "Sounds like a good name to me. Now, go ask you're mother if it's all right for Hebi to live here, all right?"_

"_Yes, father!" Orochimaru said; excitement covered his features. He ran out the door quickly, and found his mother hanging clothes up on the clothesline._

"_Is it all right if I keep it? Hebi likes me." Orochimaru told her._

_She smiled, "Did your father say it was all right?" she asked._

"_Yes! He said that if you said it was fine, that it was fine with him too." Orochimaru exclaimed._

"_Well then," his mother answered. "Of course you can, but take good care of little Hebi; all right?"_

"_Yes mother! I promise I will!" Orochimaru swore._

_His mother hugged him, "Good boy! Now why don't you take that old fish tank of your father's and go fix it up for, Hebi?"_

"_Okay," Orochimaru answered, dashing off to see to the needs of his new friend. _

"Do you like snakes, Kabuto?" Orochimaru questioned, and Kabuto felt panicky at being put to that question.

"Of course," he answered. "Well, some of them at least. As long as they don't bother me, I won't bother them."

"I see," Orochimaru replied, he saw straight through Kabuto's words to the truth. "So what creatures do you like?" he asked cryptically.

"I've always been rather fond of birds, lord," Kabuto answered.

"Birds?" Orochimaru echoed. "What kinds of birds?"

Kabuto shrugged, "Almost any of them really; although," he stopped talking for a minute, and thought over all the different varieties of birds there were. "Sparrows have always been one of my favorites."

He saw Orochimaru's look of disappointment, and yet there was a bit of interest mixed into his gaze as well.

He swallowed, "But I like predatory birds too." he added, knowing that Orochimaru would be pleased at that.

"Yes, I happen to not mind hawks, and owls," Orochimaru commented.

"They are pretty amazing," Kabuto replied.

"Yes, and they are also very powerful in comparison to their counterparts." Orochimaru said. "Take owls for instance, their range of vision reminds of the Kekkei Genkai that the Hyuuga clan holds."

"_And somehow we end up back on the subject of power," _Kabuto thought.

"Ah!" he gasped, falling to the ground suddenly.

Orochimaru whirled around, "What is it?" he demanded, scanning the surrounding area.

"I- I think I just tripped," Kabuto muttered.

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, "Be quiet," he hissed; Tsuki rose up a bit, so that he could look around, the ivory snake was hissing angrily.

A Cloud ninja dropped down from the trees in a flash, "Hello there," he said smiling. Two students appeared behind him. "What brings you to the Land Of Lightning?" he questioned.

"We're just traveling to see what all there is to see," Orochimaru lied.

"Ah, I see," the ninja replied; he looked Orochimaru and Kabuto over. Kabuto was relieved that they weren't wearing their Sound headbands, that would've have definitely caused them nothing but trouble.

"Well then," he said. "Allow us to walk with you to the next town; if you don't mind. You seem to be headed in the same direction as we are."

Orochimaru put on a smile, "Why of course, we'd be honored to walk with ninja of such esteem," he said pretending to be in awe of them.

As they walked, Orochimaru felt the eyes of the students, and their sensei upon him, and Kabuto. One of the students came up to him cautiously, "Where are you and your friend from?" he asked hesitantly.

Orochimaru looked at the boy, "The Land Of Fire," he answered simply.

The boy nodded, "That's neat," he said in a quiet voice.

"How far is it to the next town?" Kabuto asked the sensei.

"It's only about ten minutes away," the sensei answered. "It's a nice place. So, how far in are you two traveling?"

"To the coast," Orochimaru answered. "My comrade here has never seen the ocean."

"Never?" the second of the students gasped, and Orochimaru looked at her.

"Never," he answered with a smile, and the girl laughed a little, before her sensei gave her a stern look.

"Sorry," she said. "It's just, I've been to the ocean loads of times, and it just seems weird that some people have never seen it." She blushed.

Kabuto grinned, "Don't worry about it," he said. "I'm not offended."

Kabuto's grin grew wider when the town popped into view; the sensei wasn't lying, it did look like a nice place. It didn't have a wall around it like some towns did, but Kabuto guessed that being surrounded by all the trees, and being in the middle of a mountain range made up for that. A river ran path that lead into the town; next to the river, he saw a little girl playing. She seemed deeply absorbed in some imagined fantasy.

He looked at her briefly, and then paid her no mind; she was just another child.

"Here we are," the sensei said as the walked into the town; when they were surrounded by buildings, he said, "I suppose this is where our paths part. Have a good journey!" he called, as he and his students walked away.

"Good bye!" Orochimaru said; he would be so glad when he could ditch this façade.

"Thank you!" Kabuto called after the group, waving.

When the group was out of sight, Orochimaru leaned over to Kabuto, and said, "At last, they're gone; I was beginning to wonder if they were going to spy on us during our entire time in this land."

"So, they were observational scouts?" Kabuto asked.

"Yes, but since they weren't aware we are ninjas; we obviously aren't counted as that much of a threat." Orochimaru answered, smirking. "What fools," he added laughing.

They looked at the town as they walked; the people were a mix of rich, poor, and in between. Orochimaru smiled at the state of things; this had been an excellent place to come to.

_**A/N: Happy Kinda Sorta Close to Memorial Day!!! Woo! **_

_**And to those of ya'll who are graduating, CONGRATS! I posted a HUGE chapter to celebrate you all! I won't be graduating 'til 2010, but two of my friends are graduating Friday. Cam, GermX, I love ya'll!!! *hugs* Thanks again to all who read this! Happy Summer! -Bre**_


	16. Chapter 16: Vices

**That night, they went down to tavern that was on the ground floor of the inn they were staying at. Tsuki stayed up in their room; he was coiled up on Orochimaru's bed, fast asleep. Kabuto smiled; Orochimaru was in a great mood, and he hoped that it wasn't going away anytime soon.**

**As they sat down at a table, Orochimaru looked around the room, and smiled.**

"**What is it?" Kabuto asked.**

"**Nothing," Orochimaru said. "I just have a good feeling about this place,"**

**Kabuto smirked, "Do you think we'll find some good specimens?"**

**Orochimaru laughed again, "I believe we are going to come across some of the strongest we've ever had." **

**Kabuto laughed too; this was going to be fun.**

**A man in his middle ages came up to their table, "What will you have?" he asked impatiently.**

"**A bottle of sake," Orochimaru answered. "And two glasses."**

"**All right," the man said, walking off to get what they'd asked for.**

"**S-Sake?" Kabuto asked nervously.**

"**Yes," Orochimaru answered. "I'm in such a good mood, I feel like celebrating."**

"**Celebrating what?" Kabuto asked, surprised.**

"**Our good timing, and our upcoming break through." Orochimaru replied.**

"**Ah," Kabuto said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Sounds good to me. A whole bottle though?" he asked. "Be careful not to get too carried away," **

**Orochimaru laughed, "Ah, that's why I keep you around Kabuto; your sense of humor." **

**Kabuto smirked, "I try," he said. **

**The man came back, looking as grim, and impatient as ever. "Here you are," he said in a grumbling tone.**

"**Thank you," Orochimaru said, handing the man some money.**

"**No, thank you," the man muttered, taking the money, and walking away.**

**Orochimaru filled both the glasses to the top, and slid one of them across the table to Kabuto; "Drink up," he said grinning.**

**Kabuto took a cautious sip out of the glass, and tried not to choke; alcohol was not his thing. **

**Orochimaru took a sip out of his glass, and smiled, "Ah, they have good sake here," he said, leaning back in his seat. **

**Kabuto smiled weakly, and took another sip of his drink. "Yeah," he said. "It's great," he added, trying not to wince at the drink's taste.**

**Orochimaru just smiled, and took another sip of his sake.**

"_**And don't let me ever catch you three doing something this stupid again!" Sarutobi said as he glared angrily at his three students. **_

"_**Ah! Come on, sensei; lay off!" Jiraiya said loudly, a scowl was on his face. "We just wanted to see why everybody thinks it's so great…" he grumbled.**_

_**Sarutobi's scowl deepened, "Jiraiya, you're all sixteen; I don't know who sold it to you, but in case you haven't realized this, there's a reason you all haven't drank sake before, and it's because you are all under aged!" Sarutobi shouted. **_

"_**Well, why are you just yelling at me?" Jiraiya demanded angrily.**_

"_**Because you are the one who is speaking when you should hold your tongue!" Sarutobi replied sharply.**_

_**Tsunade looked down at the floor, "I'm sorry, sensei," she said quietly. "But, you should know, Orochimaru tried to talk us out of it."**_

_**Orochimaru looked up at her in surprise, and wondered why she was speaking up for him.**_

"_**That may be so, but Orochimaru still went along with it; didn't you?" Sarutobi asked.**_

"_**Yes sensei," Orochimaru said, and then he moaned softly. "But I really wish I hadn't."**_

"_**I'm very disappointed in you all," Sarutobi said; he was scowling even deeper than before. He looked at Orochimaru who was leaning against the wall with his eyes shut tightly. "See, look at Orochimaru! That's what drinking too much does to you! That, and his body is too young to handle much sake; as are the rest of yours."**_

_**Tsunade coughed, "Sorry, sensei," she said again.**_

_**Sarutobi sighed, and rubbed his eyes, "Don't do it again; understood?" **_

"_**Yes, sensei," Tsunade said.**_

"_**Yeah, okay," Jiraiya said reluctantly.**_

"_**Yes, sensei," Orochimaru said. "I'm sorry," **_

_**Sarutobi shook his head, and sighed, "Get to bed, all of you," he said sounding amused. **_

"_**Yes, sensei," they all said at once.**_

**Orochimaru smirked; **_**"He never did have the heart to be hard on us; foolish old man," **_**he thought as he took another sip of sake.**

**A/N: Anybody remember the part in… vol. 17, I think, where Jiraiya tells Naruto the three vices that can destroy a shinobi? Well, we know Jiraiya's is women, Tsunade gambles, so I guess Orochimaru drinks? Anyway, happy summer!!!**


	17. Chapter 17: Potassium

**A/N: Hey everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and are having a great summer! If you're going to PersaCon this weekend, look for me!**

**I'll be dressed up as Konan on the first day! :D**

Orochimaru moaned softly when he woke up the next morning; Kabuto was already wide-awake, and ready for the day, which surprised him; the young man was never awake before him.

"What time is it?" Orochimaru asked quietly.

"It's ten o'clock," Kabuto said. "I was going to wake you, but then I decided that you could use the rest."

Orochimaru scowled, and sat up; "Oh, Kabuto; why did you let me drink so much?" he asked in a low tone.

"Well, you were in such a good mood," Kabuto said. "Who was I to ruin it?"

Orochimaru gave him a sharp look, and laid back down.

"Besides," Kabuto went on. "You weren't even drunk."

Orochimaru laid his right arm over his eyes to block out the light, "Yes, but it's been a few years since I've drank anything alcoholic." he reminded the younger man.

"Hmm, that is true," Kabuto replied. "How do you feel?"

"All right," Orochimaru answered, taking his arm off of his eyes; he sat up and picked his pack up off the floor, and began to look through it. _"Great," _he thought. _"I left all the pain relievers at home," _he sighed, and set his pack back down on the floor. _"I suppose I'm just going to have to wait for this headache to disappear on his own." _

"Here," Kabuto said handing him a banana. "It has potassium that should help with any soreness you might have."

Orochimaru laughed, "You know me almost too well," he said, taking the fruit.

Kabuto picked up an apple, and bit into it; after he had swallowed, he answered, "I have too, after all; I am your medic of sorts."

Orochimaru unpeeled the banana a bit, and took a bite; he pondered Kabuto's words as he chewed. "Yes, I suppose that is true," he said after he had swallowed.

Kabuto just grinned cockily, and took another bite of his apple.

Orochimaru laughed, and then he took a few more bites of his banana.

After he had finished eating, he got out of bed slowly, and then he walked over to the trashcan in the room, and threw the peel away.

He stretched his arms, and walked over to his pack.

Picking it up, he looked over, and Kabuto and said, "I'm going to go take a shower."

"Okay," Kabuto answered. "I'll study this map of the area while you do that."

Orochimaru nodded, "Good," he said, and then he walked into the bathroom, and shut the door.

Kabuto looked at the map closely; he liked this Land, it had been rather nice so far. He took another bite of his apple, and then he began to commit all the streets in this town to memory; where they were, where they led to, etcetera. He briefly wondered what he, and Orochimaru would do throughout the day; would Orochimaru find someone to join them in the Village Hidden in the Sound?

"_It'd be nice to have an assistant sometimes," _Kabuto thought, but then he laughed bitterly. _"Orochimaru's too paranoid to allow that though; it's amazing enough that he trusts me as much as he does." _

"Ah!" he shouted in alarm as he felt something slithering up his leg. He looked down quickly to see what was there. He sighed in relief, and annoyance, "Ah, Tsuki; it's you," he breathed. He slowly unwound the snake from around his leg, and set it up on the table he had the map on.

He stroked its head with his index finger, "Don't startle me like that," he said softly, laughing. Tsuki merely flicked his tongue in and out lazily.

Orochimaru walked back into the room; he smiled when he spotted Tsuki. He pulled a bit of dried meat out of his pack, and fed it to the snake, who swallowed it down contentedly.

"What's the plan for today?" Kabuto asked.

Orochimaru ran a pale finger down Tsuki's scaly spine.

"We get to know this town, its layout, and that sort of thing," he replied nonchalantly, his tone was almost bored sounding. "And perhaps," he said, licking his lips. "We'll come across some unique abilities."


	18. Chapter 18: Through The Eyes Of A Child

They walked around town, committing everything that was useful to mind. They turned down a street on the left, and ended up in one of the poorer parts of the town. As they walked, a young girl walked up to them.

"Hey, mister," she said to Orochimaru with a broad grin on her face. "Do you want to see what I can do?"

Orochimaru turned to her with a curious expression on his face; "Show me," he said, and the girl's grin grew wider. Kabuto wondered why the girl didn't shy away from Orochimaru's pale features; he had gotten rid of his disguise for today.

The girl clapped her hands together excitedly, and then she caught sight of Kabuto, "Do you want me to show you too, mister? I've never done two people at once before, but it can't be that hard."

Before Kabuto could answer, Orochimaru leaned towards him, and whispered, "Get over here," in an impatient tone.

"Sure," Kabuto told the girl; he was starting to feel a bit nervous.

__

"What is she going to do?"

he thought. _"Ha, listen to me! She probably just wants to show us how long she can jump on one foot, or something like that." _

The girl nodded, and then closed her eyes in concentration; Kabuto immediately felt the presence of chakra pervading the air around them.

He moved to stand in front of Orochimaru, and started to draw a kunai, when he felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned to look at Orochimaru, who shook his head.

"I want to see what she's going to do," he whispered. "And further more, she's can't be older than four years old, and people that age usually do not attack people; they are…innocent."

Kabuto nodded, but kept his hand on the hilt of his kunai, just in case.

The world around them changed suddenly, and they were in a house; Kabuto shifted his gaze towards one of the windows, and gasped; they were on a cliff that looked out over the ocean. It was just as beautiful as the books said it was. He walked over to the window mesmerized.

Orochimaru took a few steps towards the girl, and smiled at her, "Where are we?" he asked in a kind tone.

The girl grinned with pride at what she had done, "The coast of this land," she said.

Orochimaru started to ask her another question, when her face darkened, and her knees shook a little; the world around them started to fade.

"No…" the girl whispered, squeezing her eyes shut tighter.

Kabuto blinked in shock as the ocean turned back into the street they had been on.

The girl started to fall onto her knees, but Orochimaru caught her.

"That was very impressive," he told her, and she smiled weakly.

"Did you like it, mister?" she asked. "Everyone else usually has to go somewhere before I can ask them, and they must be late too, because they run as fast as they can."

Orochimaru smiled, "Well, dear, I thought it was wonderful," he answered.

Kabuto thought about what had just happened, _"Genjutsu," _he realized. _"But she's so young. How did she do it?" _

"Wasn't it wonderful, Kabuto?" Orochimaru asked, turning to look at the young man; the look he gave him said that he had better agree.

Kabuto swallowed nervously, "Yes, it was great," he replied, and the girl's smile grew a bit stronger. She stood up from the spot where Orochimaru had helped her sit down after he had caught her.

"I'm glad you liked it," she said. "I can take you to other places too."

A spark of excitement was in her eyes, "Anywhere at all; just show me a picture," she added.

Orochimaru's smile became even more pleased, "My, that is an impressive talent you have," he said.

"Thanks!" the girl exclaimed, looking ecstatic.

"Tell me, what's your name?" Orochimaru asked her.

"Shiori," the girl answered.

"Shiori," Orochimaru echoed. "Such a pretty name,"

The girl blushed, and looked at the ground, "Thank you," she answered shyly. "What are your names?"

"I'm Orochimaru, and my friend over there," he gestured at Kabuto. "Is Kabuto Yakushi. Do you have a last name?"

The girl shook her head, "No, I'm just Shiori," she answered.

"Ah," Orochimaru answered, his smile was also in his eyes now. "Do you have any family? People you live with?"

The girl frowned, "No, it's always been me, nobody else," she said.

"Ah, that's so sad," Orochimaru said, laying a hand on the girl's right shoulder, he got down on his knees so that he was on eye level with her. "Shiori, what you have shown to Kabuto, and myself, it really deserves to be rewarded; why don't you come with us to get some ramen?" he asked.

"Ramen?" Shiori asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"It's something you eat," he told her.

"Oh, okay," Shiori said. "Is it good?"

"Well, I like it," Orochimaru answered, "Maybe you will too,"

Shiori thought for a minute, "Okay, I'll come," she answered, taking Orochimaru's hand, she allowed him, and Kabuto to lead her out of the street, and into the heart of the town. During the time they spent walking, Orochimaru studied the girl; she had dark brown, shoulder length hair, her skin was pale; it was covered with dirt, and dust, and she had violet eyes with an intelligent gleam; they drank everything in. The small, and roughly made robe she wore was tattered, and had absorbed so much grime that it was almost impossible to tell what the original color of the fabric had been. Her shoes were too large for her small feet, and looked like they had been pulled out of a dumpster somewhere. Orochimaru frowned; he actually pitied the poor girl.

While he observed her, she was also taking in things about him.  
_"He has black hair," _she thought. _"Black hair like-"  
_A memory cut into her thoughts_, "Good-bye, Shiori; mommy can't take care of you," a tear choked voice whispered; shadows from the woman's black hair obscured her face. "May you make it through the night," the voice said, and Shiori felt something hit her between the eyes, and her world went black. _She frowned, and shut her eyes, and willed the thought away; when she opened her eyes again, they were about to walk into a heavily curtained place. She squeezed Orochimaru's hand tightly, and stopped walking.

"What is it?" he asked her gently.

"Why are we going in this place?" she asked in a frightened whisper.

Orochimaru smiled, "This is where they sell the ramen, Shiori," he answered. "The curtains are to keep the cold out."

"To keep the cold out?" she echoed.

"Yes," Orochimaru answered, parting the curtain. Shiori still didn't move.

"It's all right, Shiori," Kabuto said. "Nothing in here will hurt you."

She stood rooted to the spot; her gaze shifted towards Orochimaru, who smiled at her.

She sighed, "Okay," she said, and reluctantly, she followed the two inside. They sat down in a booth; Shiori was next to Orochimaru, and Kabuto sat across from them. Shiori smiled; it felt nice inside the stand.

She hummed happily, and kicked her legs back, and forth under the table.

"What would you like, Shiori?" Orochimaru asked her.

She shrugged, "I don't know," she answered quietly.

"Ah, okay," Orochimaru replied; then he thought for a moment. "Don't worry, I think I know of something you'd like."

"Okay," she replied shyly. "Thank you, Mister Orochimaru."

"Oh, it's no problem, dear," he told her. "It's no problem at all."

She smiled at him, and then she began to stack chopsticks.

Orochimaru watched her with an interested expression; Kabuto wondered what it was he was seeing.

__

"I see a child playing, but he's seeing something more,"

Kabuto thought. _"Is he observing her behavior? Maybe he's trying to gather information on how she thinks by watching her play?" _he sighed. _"Or maybe I'm just reading into this too much," _

"What are you building?" he decided to ask.

Shiori smiled, "I'm not sure. Hmm," she thought it over. "A house!" she exclaimed.

Kabuto nodded, "It's a nice house," he told her.

"Thanks," she said.

A waitress came over to their table, and took their order; Shiori watched as Orochimaru, and Kabuto told the woman words that she had no picture for. _"Ramen, tea, cocoa," _she thought, committing the new words to memory. _"What are those?" _

When the ramen, and their drinks came to the table, Shiori just stared at it; she had no idea what to do. All she was used to was the bread, and water some of the townspeople gave to her.

Orochimaru smiled at her again, "Here, I'll show you what to do," he said, picking up a set of chopsticks. He handed a set to her, "Here, hold them like this," he said, demonstrating. It took her a few tries, but she quickly picked up how to hold her chopsticks.

"Good," Orochimaru said, "Now, use them to scoop up some of the ramen; like this." He showed her how to open her chopsticks just a bit, and then how to snap them shut.

She giggled, "I trapped the ramen!" she exclaimed.

Orochimaru laughed, "Very good, Shiori!" he said, smiling.

She started to put some of the noodles in her mouth like she saw the other people doing, when Orochimaru said, "Wait, Shiori!"

She looked at him in confusion.

"It's very hot," he told her. "You wouldn't want to burn yourself, before you put it in your mouth, blow on it," he said.

She started blowing as hard as she could, and Orochimaru laughed.

"Blow on it, gently," he corrected. "See, watch how Kabuto, and I do it."

They demonstrated, and she watched them closely.

"Okay," she said, and blew on hers lightly.

She put them in her mouth soon after, and slurped up the ends, "Mhmm," she said grinning. "This is good!"

Kabuto laughed, "You seem surprised," he observed.

She giggled, "Well, it kind of looks like worms," she whispered.

Orochimaru and Kabuto laughed hard at her comment.

"I suppose it does," Orochimaru said, after his laughing fit had ended; it had reminded him of something from his childhood.

__

"Has anyone ever noticed how ramen looks like worms?" Jiraiya commented, and Tsunade punched him in the shoulder.

"Thanks for sharing that while we're all trying to eat!" she exclaimed, scowling at him.

"Now, now, settle down," Sarutobi said, laughing at his students' antics.

"Here," Orochimaru said, sliding a mug of cocoa towards her. "Drink this, I think you'll like it too."

Shiori looked at the cocoa, and frowned, _"This stuff looks like mud," _she thought. _"But Mister Orochimaru's a nice man, and he said to drink it, and nice people don't want you to drink mud." _She took a sip, and smiled, "It's awesome!" she breathed.

"It's called cocoa," Orochimaru said.

"Hmm, that's a funny sounding name," she replied. "Cocoa," she said, and giggled. She peeped into Orochimaru's mug, "What are you drinking?" she asked.

"Green tea," he told her. "Here, would you like to try some?"

She looked embarrassed, "If it's okay," she said quietly.

Orochimaru smiled, "Of course it is! Here," he said, and handed her his mug.

She took a sip of it, and made a face, "Uhmm, it's okay, but I think I like cocoa better," she answered.

"That's fine," Orochimaru said, taking the mug of tea back; he took a sip of it and smiled. "It's a taste that takes some getting used to,"

"Oh, okay," she replied, and then she took another sip of cocoa, and smiled. "Cocoa makes me warm," she observed.

"That's good," Kabuto said. "You look like you've been cold,"

Shiori looked away, and didn't say anything; the fourth year of her life had been a very difficult one thus far.

Orochimaru gave Kabuto a dagger-like glare for upsetting the girl.

"Ah, don't look so sad, Shiori," Orochimaru said.

She stayed silent as she looked off into the distance; Orochimaru wondered what thoughts were floating around in her mind.

"Shiori," Orochimaru said. "Why don't you come live with me?"

She looked up at him curiously, "Come live with you?"

"Yes," he said. "Kabuto and I live in a village a few days' travel from here. You could come live with us, and never have to be by yourself again," he promised.

__

"And she'd never be cold, Orochimaru, you could've added- Wait, no, that's a lie,"

Kabuto thought. _"That lair's always as cold as Hell frozen over." _

"Really?" Shiori asked.

"Yes," Orochimaru said with a smile on his face.

__

["Come on, Shiori," he thought. "How can you refuse?"] He saw potential in the girl, and a lot of it at that.

Shiori looked around the ramen stand, and thought; this town was all the remembered knowing. [_"Leave here?"_ she thought.] She pictured the dark, cold nights spent in alleyways, hoping that some person or another would take pity on her, and give her water, or bread. She felt the cocoa, and the ramen warming her cold body; it was impossible to remember a time she'd felt this well. [_"This place though, it's my home,"] _she thought. _"Home," _she looked at Orochimaru, and Kabuto; they were smiling as they waiting for her answer. _"But if I go to their home, I won't be alone anymore, or cold, or-" _she tried to remember the right word. _"Or hungry."_

She took a deep breath, and let it out; then she looked at Orochimaru, and said, "I want to come live with you."

Orochimaru smiled, "I'm glad, Shiori; trust me, you're going to be a lot happier now,"

She smiled, and hugged Orochimaru, "Thank you," she whispered.

__

"No, Shiori,"

Orochimaru thought. [_"Thank you,"]_

****

_A/N: Hey everybody! I hope you all like this chapter!_

_I love ramen, but it does kinda look like worms…_

_Anyway, please review! I hope that school is going well for everyone! I start back very soon, and it's my senior year of high school! I'm so nervous!_

_But…reviews would help… _

The document uploader won't let me type out the last few parts of this chapter the way they're meant to be. So, I'll just put thoughts in brackets.


	19. Chapter 19: A Change Of Clothes

**After they had left the warmth of the ramen stand, Orochimaru picked up Shiori, and she looked at him with wide eyes.**

"**You're going to hurt your feet if you walk in those shoes for too long," he said.**

"**Oh," was all Shiori said in answer.**

"**Speaking of which," Orochimaru said. "Before we leave here, we should get you some new clothes, and a better fitting pair of shoes."**

**Shiori frowned, and looked at her outfit; was it ugly?**

"**Not that what you're wearing isn't lovely," Orochimaru said. "You're just going to need some warmer clothing, and shoes that won't hurt your feet for the journey back to my home." **

**Shiori smiled; **_**"My clothes aren't ugly after all,"**_** she thought. **

**When they came to a clothing store, Orochimaru pushed the door open with his free arm, and Kabuto followed in behind them. A bell chimed as the door swung shut behind them. Shiori's eyes widened as she took in all the beautiful colors that the clothes came in.**

"**It's like a rainbow," she whispered. **

"**Let's find you some shoes, first," Orochimaru said quietly, carrying her over to that part of the store. Shiori looked around at the shelves; there were all kinds of shoes there, and in all kinds of colors too. Orochimaru sat Shiori down on a chair that in the aisle. **

**He scanned the shelves; she was going to need boots for when the temperature was low, and shinobi sandals for training, and warmer climates. He picked up a small pair of dark boots. **

"**Do you like these?" he asked, and she nodded. "All right, try them on, and see if they're the right size," he instructed. **

**Shiori pulled her small feet out of her shoes with ease, and then she pushed them into the boots.**

"**Try walking around in them," Orochimaru said. **

**She got up immediately, and began to walk around; Orochimaru watched, and saw that they were the wrong size.**

"**Those are too big," he said. "Let's try them in a small size."**

**Shiori came back over to him, and tried on the same shoes, only two sizes smaller.**

"**These feel good," she said to him as she walked around. **

**Orochimaru observed the shoes again as she walked in them; these seemed to be exactly the right size for her.**

"**Okay then, we'll get them," he said, and she smiled; she was still clomping around in the boots. **

**Orochimaru laughed, "Come here," he said. "You're going to have to take them off for right now okay? You need another pair of shoes, and I'll need you to try them on."**

**She tugged off the boots, and held them out to him, and her eyes widened at his words, "More shoes?" she asked.**

"**Yes, you need two pairs," he told her. **

"**Oh, okay," she answered as she took his hand. **

**Tucking the box that held the boots under his right arm, he led Shiori down the next aisle. He eyed the sandals critically for a few minutes; Shiori merely stood there patiently, and waited to see what would happen. Orochimaru took a pair of the sandals down from the shelf, and handed them to Shiori.**

"**Do you want me to try these on too?" she asked, and Orochimaru nodded. She put them on quickly, and walked around. **

**Orochimaru nodded to himself; those would work, they were just the right fit. **

**After he put them back into their box, he turned and handed both the boxes to Kabuto. When Shiori had gotten her old shoes back on, they walked over to the clothing section of the store. Shiori looked around at the rainbow of colors, and patterns. There were cranes, butterflies, dragons, koi, snakes, and other creatures she didn't have names for. They walked over to the solid colored pants, and tops.**

**Orochimaru pulled out a simple pair of black pants, and held them up to Shiori's waist to see if they were the right length, and size; he nodded to himself satisfied that they were. He looked at Shiori, who smiled; he took that as a sign that she liked them, and so he laid a few pairs of them over his right arm, and walked over to the happi coats. **

"**Find one that you like," he said, and Shiori looked at the coats nervously, and stayed where she was. "It's all right for you to touch them, Shiori, go ahead." Orochimaru encouraged her.**

**She walked over to them shyly, and began to sift through them.**

**A few minutes later, she pulled out a deep red happi coat with a golden snake embroidered down the back of it. Orochimaru nodded in approval, and picked out two simple, unembroidered happi to go along with the red one; one of them was black, and the other a deep, sapphire blue.**

**Shiori held onto his left hand again, and he walked to a part of the store that sold sleepwear. **

"**Pick out two pairs," he said simply, and Shiori nodded; she had learned what 'two' meant in the shoe aisle. Shiori held up two pairs; one was a sky blue, and the other, a deep purple. Orochimaru nodded his approval, and then they walked over to the coats. Shiori showed Orochimaru a plain, black coat, and he nodded.**

"**That one's fine," he told her; even though watching her expressions, and reactions was interesting, he was beginning to get impatient. **

**They walked through the kimono again, and Shiori was lost in the rainbow of colors, and creatures once more. She looked at the butterflies, and thought that she had seen one fly off the kimono, and around the store. She blinked, and glanced around for it, but it was gone. **

**Behind them, Kabuto rolled his eyes at Orochimaru's impatience; it had made him forget two important articles of clothing. The young man reached over to one of the racks, and got a pack of socks, and a pack of underwear. When they came to the clerk's counter, Kabuto, and Orochimaru sat all of Shiori's new clothing down, and the woman behind the counter began to add up the total. When she had finished, Orochimaru handed her the amount due, and she put it away in the register, and began to bag up the clothing. She handed it to them a bag at a time, and Orochimaru, and Kabuto divided it evenly among themselves. The sun was beginning to set as they walked out of the shop.**

"**I believe it's time we went back to the inn," Orochimaru said.**

"**The inn?" Shiori asked.**

"**It's where we're staying while we're here." Orochimaru replied.**

"**Ah, so is it your home here?" she asked, confused.**

"**It is a bit like a home, I suppose," Orochimaru told her. "It's a home that you live in for a very short amount of time."**

"**So, when you leave the inn, it isn't your home anymore?" she questioned.**

"**That's sort of what it's like," Orochimaru answered.**

**They walked in silence for a few more minutes, and then Orochimaru turned to the right, and Shiori followed; she gaped at the tall building in front of them. **

"**This is the inn," Orochimaru said, and with that they walked inside.**

**They walked up the creaky steps, and Shiori looked around at everything with a curious expression. She smiled; this place was warm too. Coming to a door, Orochimaru took out a key, and turned it in the lock. The door opened with a click, and after they had walked inside, it closed behind them with a click too. **

"**What are those?" Shiori asked, pointing at the beds.**

"**They're beds," Orochimaru said. "You sleep in them."**

"**Ah, okay," Shiori answered, but she was thinking, **_**"There are special things to sleep in? That's so weird," **_

**She started to ask another question, but Orochimaru turned to her and said, "I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but first, you need a bath," **

**He walked into the bathroom, and started the shower, so the water could get to the right temperature; while it was running he laid a towel, a washrag, some soap, shampoo, and conditioner by the tub. He explained carefully what each item was for, and Shiori did her best to remember. Kabuto laid out some pajamas, underwear, and socks on the counter, and told Shiori to put them on when she was dried off. Then the two walked out of the bathroom, and Orochimaru began to shut the door. "We'll answer all your questions, when you're finished," he said, closing the door. **


	20. Chapter 20: He'll Be Sorry

**Shiori walked out of the bathroom in her sky blue pajamas. Kabuto walked by her to go turn off the shower, as she padded across the wooden floor silently; her body was a bit tense, she had never worn socks before and it was taking a ton of concentration for her not to trip and fall. Her small hands grasped the edges of her sleeves tightly; she liked how the fabric felt. She was warm, like she had been in the ramen shop, she yawned, and then shyly looked around. She was standing next to one of the beds. Kabuto and Orochimaru smiled at her. **

**Orochimaru patted a place next to him on his bed, "Come sit down," he said, and Shiori clambered up onto the bed, walked on her knees to the spot he had indicated, and sat down. Orochimaru looked at the girl; her dark hair was black from being wet, but Shiori had obviously figured out that the towel could be used on her hair too, because it wasn't dripping. He pulled out a brush, and ran it through her hair.**

"**Ouch!" she said, and whirled around to look at him with a furious expression. "That hurt!"**

"**I'm sorry," Orochimaru said. "I'll be more gentle." **

**Shiori frowned, and looked at Kabuto, who had just came back into the room, he smiled at her, and pulled a book out from his pack. He came over to Orochimaru's bed, and sat down next to the small girl. He opened the book, and looked at her, "Would you like to look at this with me?" he asked. "It has some interesting pictures."**

**Shiori smiled; she loved pictures, "Yes!" she answered, nodding her head up, and down, which tugged on her hair. She gave Orochimaru that same furious look, but the thought of the picture book was too tempting, and she turned back to look at it. The picture was of a forest, it was full of flowers, trees, and there was a river. Shiori smiled, and looked at all the colors. Behind her, Orochimaru frowned slightly at how she had looked at him furiously; he wasn't used to being on the receiving end of a look like that, and it struck him as odd that a child of all people had been the one to give him one. He sighed, and continued to brush her hair. When he was satisfied that he'd gotten all the tangles out, he braided her hair, and then tied it at the end with a scrunchie out of Kabuto's pack. **

"**What's that?" he heard Shiori ask Kabuto. **

"**That's a parrot," he told her. "They're a kind of bird, and if you talk to them enough, they can copy what you say."**

"**That bird can talk?" Shiori asked with a puzzled look on her face.**

"**Kind of," Kabuto answered. "They don't know what the words mean; they're only able to say them."**

"**Oh, okay," Shiori said, then she turned and looked at Orochimaru; her eyes widened when she didn't see her hair whirl around when she turned. "Where's my hair?" she asked in a fearful whisper.**

**Orochimaru showed her the braid, "I braided it, so it wouldn't get tangled." **

"**Oh," Shiori answered, and filed away what the word 'braid,' meant. **

"_**Where did he learn to braid?"**_** Kabuto wondered. **

**Orochimaru smirked at Kabuto's curious expression; he had learned how to braid from watching his mother braid her hair when he was a child. **

"_**Ah, Kabuto, the look on your face is priceless," **_**he thought, and then he looked at Shiori as she flipped slowly through the book. **_**"She was a very fortunate find; she'll do well, but she isn't what we came here for. I need to start looking for ninja for my experiments," **_**he glanced at Shiori. **_**"Now that we have her with us, we'll have to be very careful that she doesn't see them- No, I'll make them think that they're coming to serve me on a mission somewhere far off, and then I'll take them back to my village, **_

_**and-" **_**He smiled; this plan would work. A loud thud sounded suddenly, and Orochimaru looked for the source; he saw the book lying in the floor, Shiori had dropped it. He gave Kabuto a questioning look.**

"**She's asleep," he whispered, and Orochimaru got off the bed slowly, as Kabuto did the same. Orochimaru picked up Shiori gently, and Kabuto pulled back the blankets on the bed; Orochimaru laid her down, and pulled the blankets over her. Then, he and Kabuto walked over to the other side of the room. **

**Kabuto looked towards Shiori, and then at Orochimaru, "Why are we bringing her with us? I mean the kid's cute, and all, but what have you got in mind?"**

**Orochimaru smiled, "A ninja village needs students, and she is the first of many," he replied. **

**Kabuto thought about it; it was true, at the moment, he, and Orochimaru were the only ninja in the Village Hidden in the Sound.**

"**That girl has a ton of potential, all she needs is a sensei to show her how to apply that talent, and make it grow." Orochimaru said.**

**Kabuto nodded, and adjusted his glasses as he thought over Orochimaru's words. "What are you going to do about gathering specimens?" he asked.**

"**I've already thought of that," Orochimaru answered. "I'm simply going to hire some ninjas for a mission; escorting me to the Land Of Earth, then I'll lead them to our base, and then-" He smirked, "Well, you know,"**

**Kabuto nodded, a grim smile was on his face, "Sounds like a plan," he commented. "What if the Village Hidden in the Clouds comes looking for their ninja?"**

"**That's why," Orochimaru smiled sinisterly. "We're going to take the back way, so no one will have seen them after this land." **

"**Won't Shiori ask where they went?" Kabuto questioned. "She seems very intelligent, she's sure to notice their absence." **

"**She's also very young, I'll just tell her that they had to go somewhere, and that we won't be seeing them again," Orochimaru said. "They'll fade from her memory quickly." **

**Kabuto smiled, "I take it that we'll be off to the Village Hidden in the Clouds tomorrow then?" he asked.**

**Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, "What makes you so sure that it will be tomorrow?" **

"**Forgive me, Lord Orochimaru, but you're very impatient with some things, and I've been getting the feeling that you're more than tired with this town." Kabuto said.**

**Orochimaru laughed, "You know me too well, Kabuto," he said, and then his expression was thoughtful for a few moments. "Yes, tomorrow does seem like a good time to go," he said, and then he smirked. **_**"Ah, Sarutobi is going to be so sorry that he didn't name me Hokage**_**," he thought. **


End file.
